Its no secret that I haven't really cared for the Black Eyed Peas or their offerings since the addition of Fergie in 2003. However, they remain a relevant force in hip hop and the archetype for group posterity as they have been in the game for nearly 10 years now. I don't think there is a group around (hip hop, pop, or otherwise) that can branch off into solo offerings and still come together, not missing a beat in the original band brand. The fact that they can do this speaks volumes about their professionalism and candor towards music and their relationships with one another.
I would say the B.E.P. trajectory into the mainstream wasn't seamless or easy and the addition of Fergie, merely gave them a bigger audience share if a more diluted sound. The funny thing is that Fergie was originally part of a the late 90's pop/soul girl group "Wild Orchid" and really, the only reason why I mention that is because they believed they were the white destiny's child. So as the argument goes, she has talent, but refuses to display it, but then again, the B.E.P were never really as edgy as Outkast or as pragmatic as Arrested Development and were keen on making records custom retrofitted for the club and partying. Their latest offering "The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) does not disappoint in this department, but suffers from creative stifling and a slight identity crisis.
One thing I have to ask while reviewing an album is "well who is this album intended for...what is the sound...and how is it executed". The execution on "The E.N.D." is flawless and the tracks carry the right amount of gloss and sheen to keep your head bobbing, however, most of the tracks if not the entire album feel like filler. Lead single "Boom Boom Pow" is the prefect single in that it pretty much lays out the entire feel of the album - electro synth sound blanketed over a big bass line and corsetted over fun vocals. However, this formula begins to wear thin by the fourth track . I have no problem with the B.E.P's wanting to create a fun party album, but this one feel like it comes to us by way of GAP and the CW's "Gossip Girl". In fact, that is pretty much the only places I could imagine them using any of these tracks for the whole ordeal coalesces into an indistinguishable milieu of noise and synth effects. The sound is a whole other ordeal as we have heard these same songs better worked on previous albums and they appear to be front loaded with a slightly less mature feel than the image the group evokes. Basically, I can't tell who or what kind of people this album is intended for, my best guess is macbooks or cyborgs - Like I could see Sonny from "I Robot" jamming out to this.
Really, the only standout tracks on the album I.M.O are "Outta My Head," "Showdown" and "One Tribe" not because there is anything particularly ear grabbing about them, just that they manage to be the more "inspired" tracks on the album adding a bit of funk to the mix. The good news about "The E.N.D." is that it could very well be the type of album that grows on you as you keep listening to it, and if not a great success story here in the states, I could definitely see this album hitting big overseas as they seem more open to this sort experimental sound. I for one, like my experimental music a little bit more organic, but like I said, mainstreem success hasn't been easy for the B.E.P. so they make sure that their music defines commercialism. And that it does. If judging this album under the cloak of mainstream commercialism, then it is a shining achievement - if you love music and think that the vocoder is the equivalent of Diddy then the E.N.D. couldn't come soon enough.
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