At some point between
In My Mind
and this album, tracking
Pharrell
's accomplishments became more difficult than ever. His 2013 alone must be considered historic. That February, he accepted a Grammy for his role in
Frank Ocean
's
Channel Orange
. March brought the release of
Robin Thicke
's "Blurred Lines," a
production that eventually topped the Hot 100. In April, there was
Daft Punk
-fronted "Get Lucky," a number two hit. From June through December, the Top Five of the
Billboard
200 featured ten albums that involved him, including the number ones
Random Access Memories
,
Blurred Lines
Magna Carta...Holy Grail
, and
Beyonce
. He subsequently earned seven additional Grammy nominations and took home three awards -- presumably stowed in one of the compartments of his hat -- the following January, including the one for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. Just prior to the March 2014 release of
G I R L
, "Happy," one of several songs he granted to the soundtrack of
Despicable Me 2
, topped the Hot 100. That carefree soul throwback appears here, almost smack in the middle. It doesn't sound out of place in a set of upbeat, candy-coated pop-R&B that is relatively modern-sounding, laced with some elements of R&B from the mid- to late '60s and that sweet late-'70s to early-'80s spot. One highlight that owes more to the past is "Gust of Wind," a midtempo disco-funk
collaboration filled with soaring strings and one of
's most effectively wistful/yearning turns. On the sunny "Brand New," he adds horns and shares vocals with
Justin Timberlake
, and they deal out some rare male self-objectification: "Like the tags still on me, jumpin' 'round in your bag." Much of the material is gentlemanly -- appearances from
Alicia Keys
Miley Cyrus
JoJo
, and other women add to the approach -- but this wouldn't be a
album without some goofball moves. "Hunter," like a funkier and tinnier take on what he did for
Usher
's "Twisted," is steeped in his charm-way-over-ability falsetto and cartoonish boasts with topical references. "Gush," what sounds like an outtake from the first
N.E.R.D.
album plus strings, begins with "Make the pussy just gush" and references "Light Your Ass on Fire" while proclaiming "My mama didn't raise me that way" somewhere between. Compared to his albums with
and
, this is easily
's second most enjoyable album, just behind the original version of
In Search Of...
from 2001. It's fun, frivolous, and low on excess. ~ Andy Kellman