Second Listen Sunday : T-Pain, “Revolver”

One wonderful aspect of supporting physical media is that I never run short of albums to choose from when deciding what to cover for Second Listen Sunday.  Often, I’ll head to the man cave, browse through my CD collection, and an album will pop out at me.  This week’s pick is T-Pain’s fourth album, “Revolver.”

Released on December 6, 2011, “Revolver” came out when T-Pain’s popularity had slowed a bit.  Although he could still be called upon to provide hooks for A-list stars, he wasn’t nearly as dominant as before.  The album faced several delays, and its promo singles—“Take Your Shirt Off,” “Reverse Cowgirl,” and “Rap Song” featuring Rick Ross—did not make the final track list.

Instead, Pain teamed up with Chris Brown on “Best Love Song,” produced by Young Fyre.  At its core, the song is about two men competing for a woman through the ultimate musical expression.  It’s an interesting concept; however, having the two try to harmonize doesn’t quite work.  Honestly, this is a song where Pain and Brown could have showcased their singing abilities and used bridges instead of relying on autotune.

Next up is “5 O’Clock,” featuring Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen.  Revisiting this song, it seems like Pain was aiming for an indie-rock crowd.  To my surprise, Allen and Pain’s voices blend well together as they explore the theme of a woman waiting for her man to return from the club.  This song works better than it sounds, blending Allen and Pain’s voices organically, but Wiz’s verse is mundane.

The album’s final single was “Turn All the Lights On”.  Produced by Dr. Luke and Cirk.  At its core, the song is about cutting loose after a hard day at work.  While I’m all about having a good time, this joint doesn’t work for me because of the mediocre production and the clear focus on chasing a good time.

The rest of the album is textbook T-Pain.  On revisiting the album, the other three songs are “Bang Bang Pow Pwo.” “Bottlez” and “It’s Not You (It’s Me) all come across as filler.  Things improve with “Default Picture,” which is the vibe, which is the vibe; I wish Pain had carried on the album, as it shows maturity.  That trend carries over to “Sho-Time (Pleasure Thang)” and “Rock Bottom”.

“Revolver” barely went gold in the US, and it’s easy to see why: the album is unfocused, and Pain didn’t promote the better songs.  Nevertheless, at that point in his career, Pain was already a household name, so he could afford a mediocre album and still tour on his hits.

Final Grade: C+