Album Review: Graffiti - Chris Brown

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The great thing about Chris Brown and Rihanna releasing their new albums at about the same time is that we can all speculate as to who’s doing better in the aftermath of their breakup. In Rated R, Rihanna sounds pretty depressed. But is Chris as love-hungover as his superstar ex? If he is, he isn’t really showing it on his new release Graffiti.

To me, Chris Brown is like the Peter Pan of pop and R&B. He still has that boyish voice with a unique soul and emotive quality that reminds me of Tevin Campbell. Most importantly, despite the tarnishing of his image, the lead single I Can Transform Ya proves he can still deliver hits:

I Can Transform Ya - Chris Bro...

On a side note, this is one of the more focused and inspired beats I’ve heard from producer Swizz Beatz in the past few years. The rock guitar adds some attitude, and the robotic grunts that drive the track from below give it a futuristic sound. Don’t be surprised if people sue Swizzy for whiplash from bobbing their heads a little too hard after listening to this.

Brown seems to get a little introspective on Crawl, a dramatic and almost symphonic ballad about salvaging a relationship on the rocks. It’s my personal pick for the second single:

Crawl - Chris Brown

But for the most part, you get the feeling that Chris Brown is feeling pretty good about himself. He escaped any truly serious consequences for his actions, he’s still young and talented, and he won’t be lacking for female companionship despite the past transgressions. As a result, the tracks are your typical professionally produced light pop and R&B fare performed with a smile. Nothing really memorable here, but nothing too bad either. Pass Out samples Eric Prydz’ Call On Me, and sounds like an attempt to re-create the dancefloor magic of Forever:

Pass Out - Chris Brown featuri...

The familiar vocals over a familiar club beat make for a logical combo, and I think this should be the third single.

Overall, I give Graffiti a 4 out of 5. A couple good singles surrounded by some reasonable filler make for a solid album. Brown sounds like he’s moved on from the past, and that should help him sell units and move up the charts.

Listen to samples and download the album: