8A - Monday, April 2, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
PUPPETS ON PARADE
The
'Value'
of Tim
HIP-HOP'S
PREEMINENT
PRODUCER
COMES UP BIG
By BRIAN CHEN
Daily Arts Writer
To say that Timbaland had a
successful year in 2006 would be
an understatement. Simply put, he
dominated the airwaves. As the
architect of Nelly Furtado's Loose
and Justin Tim-
berlake's Future- ***
Sex/LoveSounds,
he produced hit Timbaland
after hit with his
proven Midas Shock Value
touch. Consider-I
ing Furtado and Inlerscope
Timberlake's
diverse musical backgrounds,
Tim's versatility was obvious even
before he declared to MTV, "I'm
not a hip-hop producer. I'm a pro-
ducer."
This brings us to the entirely
appropriate title of his second solo
album, Shock Value. It dictates the
album's every gesture, with each
production choice intended to turn
heads and challenge straightfor-
ward genre classifications. As one
of the preeminent producers of our
time, Timbaland has little diffi-
culty finding artists to work with.
Here he recruits an eclectic range
of contributors, including Elton
John, Fall Out Boy and 50 Cent.
Like Kanye West, another beat-
maker-turned-rapper, Tim is an
adequate MC, but it's behind the
mixing boards that he truly excels.
"Give It To Me," the single fea-
turing Furtado and Timberlake,
revolves around his signature
stutters accompanied by bubbling
synths, tribal drumming and an
FOR SHAME.
PASTV
Art and Design junior Alex Jacque parades through the streets with puppets for Festifools, a one-block parade in honor of
April Fool's Day on Sunday.
Wow.
endlessly twisting melody. To
attempt to expound fully on its
subtleties is almost a disservice.
The track is the epitome of shock
value, sounding unlike anything
else - at once experimental, avant-
garde and entirely danceable.
Yet for an album based on the
principle of experimentation,
there's a surprising amount of
unoriginality. Album opener "Oh
Timbaland" sounds remarkably
like Talib Kweli's "Get By" until
Timbaland adds his stylistic flour-
ishes and allows the song to fully
develop. "Scream," an otherwise
fantastic song featuring Pussycat
Dolls frontwoman Nicole Scher-
zinger, recalls the warm, sultry
production of Furtado's "Say It
Right."
on their own these recycled
sounds do no harm, but ultimately,
they're antithetical to the album's
ruling aesthetic of experimenta-
tion.
That's not to say that Timbal-
and sticks to what he knows best
- among other uncharted areas,
Timbaland ventures into rock.
Unfortunately, all the "rock" songs
are crammed into the second half
of the album, as a result, the album
is unsure of what it wants to be.
Dispersing the rock tracks among
the hip-hop tracks would have bet-
ter suited the album's titular aes-
thetic.
Moreover, the album's rock
songsare hit-or-miss. "Throw It On
Me," a collaboration with garage
punk-rock band The Hives, is a
disaster - too wild and frenetic for
even Timbo to handle. Conversely,
in "Time," with the alternative
rock band She Wants Revenge,
the producer takes on the realm of
sentimentality. Here the merger of
hip hop and rock succeeds spec-
tacularly, as the song's profundity
will resonate with listeners more
than Timbaland's other attempts
at pathos.
From the tempestuous slow-
burn of "Miscommunication" to
the noxious lust of "Bounce," the
album's production is generally
top notch. Timbo smartly hides the
labyrinthine complexities of his
beats - rather than highlighting
the dense layers of instrumenta-
tion, he simply lets the beat ride.
It's an incredible feat of modesty,
considering he's established him-
self as arguably the best producer
in the game.
Maybe what's most "shocking"
about the album is that it ultimate-
ly offers no surprises. We all know
Timbaland is a great beat-maker,
and Shock Value only legitimizes
the claim. If some of the songs
underwhelm, it's only because they
stand in Tim's stately shadow.
YOU MISSED TWO GREAT CONCERTS THIS
WEEKEND. GOOD THING WE DIDN'T.
MICHIGAU Y.COM.
4
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