The album is not short on catchy tunes. The opening track, "We Collide" gets you a quick introduction to what the new Frankmusik is all about: Crazy upbeat techno with an array of love metaphors. The rest of the album follows suite, keeping the same radio-ready pop deliciousness theme, while changing up a bit here and there. To some, this album may feel like you are listening to the same song over and over, but to the people who actually pay attention to what they are hearing, it will be a fun, albeit quick, adventure through the mind of a rising pop icon.
The lead in single and title track, "Do It In The A.M." is one of the most polished tracks on the album, featuring fellow Cherry Tree artists Far East Movement. I have been an FM fan since they collabed with Space Cowboy back in the day, and their name credit to the song is actually what got me interested in this artist in the first place. Unfortunately, for a opening single, I think it wasn't the best choice. FM takes a lot of the spotlight, especially since they continue to say their name over and over.
His second single, a duet with my personal hero Colette Carr titled "No I.D.", was a better showcase of his abilities. He reaches up high with is falsetto, creating an impressive vocal exhibition. This would have been my choice for a first single, but alas, I'm not a producer. His other featured track, "No Champagne", is performed with Cherry Tree's current pop princess (and currently doing a song with literally everyone on their record label) and was far less impressive than the other two featuring tracks. It feels a bit drug out for my tastes and I really feel like after "Champagne Showers", Ms. Kills has had enough of the sauce for now.
Listening to the first of the album, I was beginning to wonder if he could hold up on his own, and then he drops "Footsteps" on us all. This track literally blew me away. A more serious track about losing love, he combines hot beats, piano, and his continuously improving vocal talent to make one of the greatest tracks on the album. "Break Lights" is another very strong track, even if I'm not sure what "activate my break lights" means. (I assume his butt lights up red when he slows down walking?)
One thing I really do appreciate about this album is it doesn't suffer from end-of-the-album syndrome. Many, many pop albums start off strong, and then tack on some crap songs at the end. Don't get me wrong, the album has it's less appealing songs, IE the skip tracks, but they are placed in different spots. Ironically enough, my least favorite track on the album is the final song, "Cut Me Down."
As far as actual vocal talent goes, I really do like his voice. He has a very distinct, somewhat raspy, somewhat smooth voice. He does strain his voice out a lot on the higher-end notes. Hopefully he takes good care of his throat so that won't hinder him. It makes for a very enjoyable album to listen to.
A point I only wish to touch on for a moment before I wrap this up: Yes, this album is quite different from his other work. He has stated many times that this was on purpose. He said every album he does will be different. So far, most fans have seemed to adapt and love his new material. For those who don't, please stop complaining. It does about as much good as me complaining about how much I hated the "new Rihanna" in Rated R.
When you buy the album on iTunes (or a physical copy of it), you can go on his official site and get a new bonus track every Friday from now until Christmas. The first one, "Listen To My Heart" was a bit of a miss for me, but I remain hopeful with the coming thirteen tracks.
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