Smooth succulent crooner Robin Thicke's album "A Beautiful World" is an extravagant epiphany of R&B, soul, blues, folk, pop, funk, barber shop, electronic and country that comes off flawlessly.
Imagine Freddie Mercury soaring from deep soul to fresh Stevie Wonder bebop and funk all in the space of one song. Thicke has put out a landmark record that should be toasted by critics worldwide.
The track "Flex" blares with break beats and frunkatropics. Before you can blink, your feet are tapping and your head is bopping. Then the song morphs into crushed velvet guitars reminiscent of Prince. All this laid down on a smooth bed of jazz piano and groovy bass.
After "Flex" comes "Make a baby," which is like having The Byrds follow the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The thumping pro-conception pop anthem is more infectious than the bubonic plague and will leave you wondering if you are listening to the same album.
Let's not even start talking about Thicke's lyrics, which are something only a first-hand experience can express.
To say this album is good would be an understatement. The influences are obvious, and leave you thinking if you had only one person's CD collection to listen to for the rest of the time you could get by on Thicke's.
