Music Review: Robin Thicke - Love After War

R&B crooner Robin Thicke has undergone a fascinating transformation over the past ten years. When he dropped his debut album, A Beautiful World, in 2002, the singer billed himself as simply Thicke. Sporting flowing long hair and a grunge look, he gained some notice through his retro 70s tune "When I Get You Alone." Due to little publicity, the stellar album sank into oblivion. Thanks to Neptunes producer Pharell as well as rappers such as Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, Thicke received a hip hop makeover on 2006's The Evolution of Robin Thicke. The ballad "Lost Without U" became a massive hit, signaling the arrival of a blue-eyed soul star. 2008's Something Else leaned heavily toward his strength—updating 70s R&B—but did not impact the charts as much as its predecessor. Therefore his hip hop connections largely dominated 2009's Sex Therapy, where he sometimes took a back seat to guests such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and Kid Cudi.

While his "mack daddy" persona emerged in such Sex Therapy cuts as the title track, "Rollacoasta," and the infamous "Shakin' It for Daddy," he largely subdues it on his latest album Love After War. Instead, he concentrates on vocal and lyrical maturity, showing impressive artistic growth in just two years. At 17 tracks, Love After War is a bit bloated, but it marks a welcome return to his retro soul roots.

As the album title suggests, Thicke's album narrates the sometimes rocky road of a relationship. The sultry, bossa nova-kissed title track paints an ugly picture of a fight: "Caught in lies, doves cry, doors slam and broken lights/Bottles hit the TV screen," he sings. As with typical Thicke tunes, love eventually wins: "Wanna put down our weapons baby/ Lay your clothes down on the floor/ And give me some love after war," his seductive voice pleads. This topic has certainly been covered before, but Thicke adds a layer of sophistication to it through his smooth vocals and chord changes.

Unlike Sex Therapy, Love After War explores some of Thicke's other influences, including 1960s rock tinged with Memphis horns. "An Angel on Each Arm" mashes the Rolling Stones with Stax to produce one his most aggressive tracks yet. It departs slightly from his typical soul man persona, but works well. His voice also demonstrates grit and confidence on the pulsing rocker "Animal." The ballad "What Would I Be" injects some gospel piano and vocals into the proceedings, while "The Lil' Things" incorporates some blues. One could imagine Ray Charles delivering this delicate tune about a relationship's life cycle, from "first words and first hurts" to "memories and golden years." It finds Thicke in a rare retrospective mood, shifting from focusing strictly on graphic sexuality. Here, he shows maturity by describing how the "lil' things" add up to a solid love story.

Article Author: Kit O'Toole

Kit O'Toole is a lifelong music enthusiast who maintains a music blog, Listen to the Band. In addition, she is the internet columnist and a contributing editor for Beatlefan magazine. She also holds an Ed.D. in Instructional Technology.

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