Frank Ocean: You Are Luhh
Details
Genre: R&B, SoulPros:
Relaxed, tranquil and complimentary to the originalCons:
Can being too minimalist be a bad thing?Isley Bros. cover raises Frank Ocean from the grave of silence
Isley Bros. cover raises Frank Ocean from the grave of silence
R-Neg-B innovator Frank Ocean has been unbearably silent for quite some time. After dropping the critically-acclaimed channel.ORANGE (one of HiFi’s best discs of 2012), the gifted Ocean went into a sudden relapse — partially after exposing unbearable weaknesses on the live stage including the SNL performances and a failed opening gig with Arcade Fire. But it is no secret that Ocean is working on new music.
Coming out of the gate this early in 2015 is a tender cover of the Isley Brothers “At Your Best (You Are Love).” The tune, stripped down to the bare bones of minimalist instrumentation, arrives with an elevated key change while showcasing his creamy effortless falsetto. Oceans version, released on Aaliyah’s birthday, lacks the musical character of the Isleys and the sleek charm of Aaliyah’s recreated version, but Ocean’s take digs deep into the sensuality of the lyrics. When he oozes out such lines like “you’re a positive motivating force within my life,” it sounds as if he’s directly singing it in your ear. The use of echo and silence helps create an effect that’s probably the most cerebral of all the versions. At the very end of the track, there’s a small uptempo disco-sprinkled outro, providing a careful glimpse at what’s sure to come. This is obviously not going to ever dethrone the Isley’s 1976 masterful original, but Ocean certainly has our attention.
