Charlie Puth - Nine Track Mind

Charlie Puth
Nine Track Mind
2016
Spotify

Charlie Puth is the next in line of the Youtube stars turned recording artist to release an album. Nine Track Mind named for who knows why is the super smooth top 40 radio ready record that you will undoubtedly hear constantly if you spend anytime actually listening to the radio. The problem seems to be with these types of acts is getting their start with covers and remixes makes their song writing or selection so incredibly pedestrian. Each track on this album seems tailor made to appeal to the teen set and not because that is what Charlie is actually feeling, but because that's what he assumes they want to hear. There is very little here at all that feels authentic, just a bunch of songs shopped in a focus group with hopes of mass appeal. The biggest offender is "Marvin Gaye" featuring Megan Trainor. This track is so incredibly dismissive of it's namesake and his contribution to music that it is almost offensive. Perhaps the thing that really hits you hard is that Puth actually is quite talented (Berklee educated) and his songwriting impressive but when what He comes up with is this kind of basic music it feels like a travesty.

The album mainly stays in the R&B doo-wop vein despite the occasional foray into a more experimental vibe like on "Suffer". "Left Right Left" comes across as Puth prving his chops as a songwriter by using a somewhat obscure metaphor and rhyming style, but ti just falls flat. There are absolutely no stakes in his music there is no sense of risk. You are going to get exactly what you expect track after track. The odd thing is that even though this record is meant to be a top 40 hit Puth never really falls into the trap of using the super of the moment sounds, "As You Are" featuring Shy Carter is almost laughable in it's bubblegumness. Puth does have a love for the old style and makes that pretty clear on this record. However he is no where near the level of current artists like Leon Bridges who take the genre and make it completely new again. The record is also about four tracks to long causing for a slow boring end. For the die hard Puth fans out there this may be just what they were looking for, but for the casual listener there really is just nothing here.

3.2 out of 10