insomniac1587's Full Review: What's a Man to Do? by Frankie J
When an artist attempts to crossover into another market, it can either make them or break them. If they fail to be successful in their new endeavors, it can also mean a loss of credibility where they originally began. They can lose respect as well as opportunities they would have otherwise received. This mainly occurs with country artists like Shania Twain, Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks who’ve received an enormous amount of disrespect and flack because they appeal to the pop masses and don’t do “real country music”. On the other hand, crossing over can also offer a whole array of possibilities and expose the artist to a new audience whose knowledge of them may not be that extensive. Shakira, Ricky Martin, Thalia, and Enrique Iglesias are some of the artists who’ve took the chance and received platinum-plus success in return.
One artist who has had to crossover as well as go solo is Frankie J. An original member of Los Kumbia Kings (the group fronted by the late Selena’s brother A.B.), Frankie J (whose real name is Frankie Bautista) has recently been hailed as the male Alicia Keys in coherence with his single Don’t Wanna Try. Critics have been kind to the album, not giving it horrid reviews like 75% of the albums released that lean toward the r&b/ pop side of the spectrum. In terms of commercial success, the album has done blandly, debuting in the top 50 but quickly losing its place. I believe it’s out of the top 100 this week.
Tracklisting:
What’s A Man To Do? (*** 1/2)
Won’t Change f/Gemini (** 1/2)
Interlude
We Still (**** 1/2)
Wanna Know (*** 1/2)
Diggin’ Your Style f/Baby Bash (*)
Don’t Wanna Try (**** 1/2)
Just The Way f/Gemini (** 1/2)
Be Home Soon (**** 1/2)
Drinks on Me f/Baby Bash (*)
From The Outside Looking IN f/Russell Lee and Max Minelli (**)
Ya No Es Igual (****)
I can’t believe you had the nerve to say the things you said hurt so bad that they ended our relationship
It seems that everyone has that one single that kind of defines their career and becomes what they’re most known for. Blu Cantrell has Hit Em Up Style, India.Arie has Video and now Frankie J has Don’t Wanna Try. This nearly perfect 4:06 slice of midtempo piano ballad heaven is one of the more simply arranged tracks that he has but that’s what makes it so great. It lacks the pretention, stiffness and half hearted effort that plagues some songs on this album. There are no guest appearances, no speaking intros and nothing to distract from J’s best vocal performance. This song comes from a relatively unique perspective in that it doesn’t contain the usual bravado of male r&b; this track actually has a vulnerable and tender J seemingly coming to terms with a bad relationship. He sounds the most tender during the opening verse but eventually picks up some stability for the powerful sing-a-long hook. He maintains a slightly toned down version of his hook vocals for the rest of the song., making this track the official timeline of how you feel after a relationship. J has one of the better young male r&b voices; more smooth than Justin Timberlake and classier than Craig David. J’s obvious ballad talent shows on this track; it seems he is one that doesn’t realize the difference between his upbeat material and his ballads. The piano seems to be the best instrument to compliment his voice; offering soft, playful and self analytical sections in the 46:23 confines of this album. On this track, the music is nearly pure piano; no bassline or anything. When the bass picks up during the hook, it gets the r&b edge that pushes the song from good to great. J’s vocals lose the quivery whisper they had and get to the more strong and sturdy tone that he normally uses; they go hand in hand with the lyrical change from reflective and vulnerable (I can’t believe it, four years gone down/ the drain/ Oh how I wish things would have/ Happened so differently) to kind of acceptance (Don’t wanna try/ Don’t wanna try/ Don’t wanna try no more/ You keep insisting when you know our/ Love is out the door) which may not seem unique but is done rather well. J’s adeptness at clever wordplay as well as expressing himself clearly is made very evident on this song; he doesn’t go for the normal tendencies, he pushes aside the larger than life persona and goes more down-to-earth on this song. Overall, a fantastic song that is very refreshing.
We still Always argue all the time Never make love when it’s right
Accompanied by the dramatically dark interlude, We Still captures J in a more positive tone, both lyrically and musically. Unlike Don’t Wanna Try, this track maintains the same volume throughout and doesn’t contain all of the dramatic instrumentation and tender vocals that Don’t Wanna Try does. This track is nearly all bassline, only containing a stringed instrument (it sounds like a mandolin but is listed as a bass) during the verses and a clap-infested hook a’la Heather Headley only a little more toned down, both clapwise and vocalwise. The beat of the song has the sunny disposition of a slowed down r&b version of 98 degrees’ Because Of You but also has some of the crispest production that you’ll find on this album. It’s very smooth and sleek but has no gloss or overbearing sound effects so you will focusing on J’s voice vibing along with the music. Vocalwise, J does a great job kind of sounding like a sleeker and slightly more raspy Justin Timberlake (also like a more r&b Brian Littrell) in some parts during the call-and-response hook (they’re the “response” vocals). He has a lot of emotion in his voice but doesn’t lay it all on the table. he has that kind of laidback, reserved tone where he doesn’t give up too much until his ‘you go boy’ ad libs which will remind you that this guy has some power in him. Lyrically, it takes on similar subject matter compared to the rest of the album (this time its trying to fix a relationship) and doesn’t disappoint in terms of structure (the hook, other rhyme patterns) but lacks a lot of meat to it. When you glance at the lyrics, you’ll notice the song isn’t nearly as much verse as you’d like. Most of this song is the hook which is repeated several times albeit a few too many. The vocabulary is good (So it was always me/ To take the stand/ and take the initiative) but there’s better tracks if you’re into them big ol’ words them fancy people use. (Sometimes I’m just too sarcastic for my own good, eh?) Overall, another more than strong ballad.
I’ll be home soon It’s just these phone conversations Ain’t helping our relations
The third straight midtempo ballad I’ll be reviewing, the stirring Be Home Soon has all the makings of a movie theme. Its got the perfect intro for that type of song; some of the more complex music on the album (more instruments add to the depth of it) as well as deeply sincere vocals and heartfelt lyrics. The opening is the best intro of the album with a meshing of elegant piano, angelical violins and late arriving guitars to form a somber but not mopey track. The violins and guitars are absent for a good portion of this song so you get just the piano and J’s charming vocals. The first verse he’s nearly a cappella as the piano kind of takes a backseat and becomes far more subdued than you’ll expect. The ivories are soothingly peaceful, offering an uplifting atmosphere where J puts on an amazing vocal performance. He’s no piano virtuoso and the playing is nothing original or new but you know it works. J’s vocals on this track seriously rival his single for best on the album. He puts on a very real performance; there are no major vocal changes or anything. He never overdramatizes on this track. The amount of normal guy element in this song is astounding because that’s not what anyone focuses on. We focus on being larger-than-life and not down-to-earth. He just happens to be a regular guy who has a breathtaking voice. Lyrically, this song is one of the most sophisticated yet modern that he does. It reminds me a little of that old Metallica song that goes ‘the road is now my bride’ because of the general theme and sentiment. If you haven’t caught on, this is a very heartfelt promise to come home after being away for a while. Its probably the anthem of anyone who has been a little homesick (Hello sweetheart, so how was your day/ Well I’m just sittin’ here/ Thinkin’ of you/ I feel like I’m a go crazy) and thinking of that special someone.. The emotion is perfectly executed with a topic rarely touched on and a smartly written track to work his magic on. J comes off very genuine and never whiny, bland, or desperate. Overall, a heartwarming track that’ll give you that fuzzy feeling.
She was so fly She was alright She looked like she came from that paradise
And here we have the first of two horrifically simple tracks, Diggin’ Your Style. Featuring unknown rapper Baby Bash, this track is so generic that I wonder why it didn’t come with a discount. The prince of cheesy ghetto fabulous intros (Craig David being the king), J has written some of the most whine inducing lyrics you’ll find on the record. Insipid (Them pretty a** toes/ The way she rolls/ Everything about her looked so dope), banal (So baby can I get your number/ So we can holla) and repetitive (You got me diggin’ your style...oh/ Can we kick it for a while/ Can we kick it for a while/ For a while...yeah are only some of the adjectives used to describe this very beige track. J is beige, the beat is beige, Baby Bash is beige, it’s just beige. The hook is nowhere near as catchy or good as the rest of his material (it’s four lines long) and doesn’t provide enough of the powerful sing-a-long energy that it should. Although the lyrics take up 2 columns and use about 11 stanzas or so, there just isn’t anything to latch onto. The whole song is just so empty and lifeless that, even though its supposed to be a dance track, it contains no energy. My other main problem is the fact that even though this man plays piano and mainly does midtempo stuff, he still thinks he has to have some no-name rapper take up space and try to get him some street cred. Bash’s appearance is brief at less than a minute but definitely drags down this song. With his Nick Cannon-esque flow and juvenille word play, he proves why he hasn’t been successful. He sucks. The lyrics are all that is wrong with mainstream hip hop; gimmicky (She got a body like ooh ahh/ Sexy mammas like ooh ahh/ She love to party), name dropping (Fendi shades with the hat to/ match you know) and...well...I’ll let you be the judge (Sometime I wanna take you to a/ movie or something/ Get high, get to know you). His deep, Mufassa-esque voice is molded into an uberly poppy flow that is mumbly at times and overbearing at others. J’s lazy vocals sound alright over the beat which is an alternating clap-and-synth combo of sounds. He drags out the hook too much (it sounds like diggin’ your styyyyyle) and doesn’t have the same magic that he has in the track I previously mentioned. The beat is extremely repetitive with the same riff played throughout the entire song. Its not really a dance track but is one of the most upbeat tracks on this album. If the claps hadn’t have been included, the beat would’ve been tolerable. J doesn’t even play any instruments on this track; someone named Happy Perez does. Overall, a lazy attempt at being accepted by the hip hop community.
So tell me sexy baby What kind of fellas do you like Well here I am sweet lady You got one right here by your side
That other horrendous track is Drinks On Me featuring, you guessed it, Baby Bash. This track is like one 4:40 long pick-up line. J does 2 really quick verses and the very blah hook to little fan fare. It seems like he wanted as little time on this track as possible with rushed lyrics that don’t sound as sleazy as I had expected when I first learned a song of this title would be on the album. As the song gets going, it starts to sound a little desperate especially during the second verse. If you didn’t woo her with one lame verse (Well I must say that baby/ You look so so good tonight/ And I must say that lately/ I’ve been watching you all night/ So are you here with someone), you sure as heck won’t get her with a rehash of the first (You’ve got that sexy appeal that.../ And those eyes that glow at night). Vocally, it’s just got a been there, done that vibe to it. It’s like J is just there and doesn’t do anything special. The hook back-up is annoying as they go for finesse rather than an actual good part. Even the music has that same vibe, no claps but there might as well have been some. It’s a bit more hard edge with a pounding bassline and zero instruments used, adding to the lack of artistry that this song already possesses. It doesn’t fit in with the record at all. Bash once again sound horrid, elongating the last syllable of the words at the end of each line to make it unbearable. The “I’m trying to be ghetto” language is still evident (For scrilla swangin’ and bangin’ poppin’ and perkin’) and sounds as wack and forced as ever. He seems like a total gimmick rapper with no substance or depth at all. He takes up too much of the song for my taste and what he does do is completely forgettable. His flow makes 50 Cent’s sound complex, that’s how bad it is. Overall, a bad, bad song.
In conclusion, while Frankie J has obvious talent (both musically and vocally) he doesn’t put it all out there on this record. This record most certainly has its points that include smooth vocals, crisp piano playing and lyrics that are sweet as well as reflective and romantic. J’s vocals are the ultimate highlight when you listen to this. He has a down-to-earth confidence that will mesmerize those who are used to loud, obnoxious beats and half hearted vocals. They’re the most endearing thing about him and will keep you hooked even if you don’t like the lyrics. He glides over the ballads with a mystique that is slightly reminiscent of the greats of the business like Luther. I only said slightly, no one can compare to Luther so please don’t write any hate mail. Why start now? The only time he stumbles is on the 1-2 star songs where everything falls apart.
Lyrically J is good but can be better. His relationship tracks are normally sophisticated and sincere sounding. But, when he tries to go from sensitive piano man to party hopping thug, the results are more than tragic with stiff, generic wordplay and bland hooks. Let this be a lesson to perspective vocalists. Don’t try to be something you’re not just to sell some records. 95% of the time it will blow up in your face.
If J can keep at his current pace on ballads, ditch the rappers and make more intelligent upbeat track he’ll be a force to reckoned with. But until then, he’s only half the artist he could be.
If you’re into r&b, you’ll find something to enjoy. If not, please save your money.
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