Nostalgia, Ultra review.

Album cover taken from Frank Ocean's tumblr: http://frankocean.tumblr.com/

The group OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) is blowing up in the hip-hop community. After ringleader Tyler, The Creator and Hodgy Beats took the stage at the Jimmy Fallon show and delievered an exciting performance, the group has been getting a lot more buzz and even received some praise from artists like Mos Def, Lupe Fiasco and ?uestlove.

Most of their music has dark and disturbing subject matter, reminisicent to Slim Shady Eminem. Tyler and Earl Sweatshirt play the psycho killer/rapist card more than anyone else in the group, while Hodgy Beats and Domo Genesis don't go as far. However, a lot of groups have their one "black sheep" and Odd Future is no different, with R&B artist Frank Ocean.

Before downloading Frank Ocean's free debut album Nostalgia, Ultra, I only knew of him from a few hooks off of MellowHype's (Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain) BLACKENEDWHITE album. I couldn't get a good read on his talent with two sample sizes and frankly, I felt that he seemed a little out of place there. But as my interest of the group in general grew, I decided to give Ocean's album a download and went into my first listening session with no expectations.

Then one listen turned to two, two turned to three and so on. In one day, I've listened to this album front to back seven times and wished I would have downloaded it as soon as it came out. It's left me shocked, awed and a little confused as I wonder how someone like Ocean would find himself in a group like Odd Future. The "black sheep" produced one of the best releases I've heard so far in this early year.

The album starts with the sound of someone changing tapes, which leads into the first song, "Strawberry Swing". A lot of people will immediately recognize this as a Coldplay song; which I didn't at first, because I'm admittedly not a Coldplay fan. Ocean sings about the good times he's had in his life and feels like they'll come to an end soon with the eventual destruction of the world. Honestly, if the show Laguna Beach was still on TV, I'd say this would be a shoe-in for the soundtrack.

"Novacane" is not only a drug dentists use during operation to numb the pain, but it's also the second full song from the album. The woman Ocean has sexual relations with gets him into smoking and he compares their love to the drug. "We All Try", which is probably my second favorite song from the album, is about what Ocean believes and don't believes in. I feel like his vocals are at his peak on this song, especially at the beginnings of the first and second verses.

After another interlude, the next song comes up. "Songs For Women" is about his relationship with one woman and how she never recognized his vocal talents. People around him would ask him if he sang songs to get women, but he's saying throughout the song that it doesn't work. "Lovecrimes" is an up-beat track that is about the sexual relations Ocean and his woman have.

Another change of the tapes commences, before the "There Will Be Tears" comes through your speakers. Beginning with a sample from Mr. Hudson's track with the same name, the beat then speeds up while Ocean reminisces on how his father was never in his life and how it affected him worse than other people he knew that went through the same thing.

"Swim Good" is about Ocean attempting suicide by driving his car into the ocean after his woman left him, while "Dust" is a shorter track about him wiping away his memories (or them turning into dust) about a past relationship. The latter is the only song I'm not feeling that much through a few listens, but that is followed up by the best one on the album.

It's hard enough to sing karaoke to The Eagles' classic song, "Hotel California". But to compose your own song to the same beat and for it to sound incredible? That's tough. Nonetheless, Ocean does it with "American Wedding". The theme of the song is about a teenage relationship that ends up in marriage, followed up eventually by divorce. He says that most relationships end up like this nowadays in America, which is absolutely the truth; too many couples rush into marriage and it almost never works out due to various reasons.

One more interlude come and goes, then the final track plays. "Nature Feels" is probably the most relatable song to the rest of Odd Future's work, at least from a subject matter standpoint, but it's not even that "bad". Sex in the wild is the theme, as Ocean compares himself both to Adam from the Bible and a caveman. The song and album then finally ends the way it started; by the sounds of someone changing a tape out.

Nostalgia, Ultra, like I mentioned earlier, is one of the best releases of this early year. The production throughout the album is both great and at times very recognizable, and although Ocean still has a way to go to be a premiere vocalist (he's a good singer, but can expand on his range), the singing itself is very good as well. It's definitely different from the killing cops and raping women subject matter Odd Future is known for, but this "black sheep" stands out among his peers both from that standpoint and a talent standpoint.

1.) Street Fighter | 2.75 - 3

2.) Strawberry Swing | 4 - 4.75

3.) Novacane | 4.5 - 5

4.) We All Try | 4.75 - 5

5.) Bitches Talkin' | 3

6.) Songs For Women | 4 - 4.5

7.) Lovecrimes | 4 - 4.5

8.) Goldeneye | 2.5 - 3

9.) There Will Be Tears | 3.75 - 4

10.) Swim Good | 4.25 - 5

11.) Dust | 3

12.) American Wedding | 5

13.) Soul Calibur | 2.5 - 3

14.) Nature Feels | 4 - 4.25

Overall: 3.89/5

DOWNLOAD: Nostalgia, Ultra - Frank Ocean