The Right Channel

Frank Ocean released his debut album Channel Orange on the 10th July and I must I wasn't 100% sure on what to expect. Over the past year I've slowly heard more and more of Ocean through his work with Odd Future, Kanye West and Jay-Z respectively which in turn lead me to some of his solo work. The hype around tracks such as Novacane and Swim Good was definitely warranted in my opinion and after hearing tracks such as Nature Feels I started to get myself excited for the debut album would deliver.

I happy to say I haven't been disappointed, the album mixes deep hip hop beats with Oceans soulful flow and I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the work of John Legend, most notably the Evolver album. This comparison may just be something I heard myself but Oceans tone throughout and the classic nature of many of the tracks really caught my attention.

In terms of favourites on Channel Orange I must admit I have been drawn in with the masses to the album's Track 10 - Pyramids. The 9+ minute track drifts through genres but to my ears never loses it's basis and has been on repeat on my iTunes ever since. Along with Pyramids I am a also big fan of Track 5 - Sweet Life, I feel this track is the most like that of Mr. Legend in terms of my earlier comparison and I would have to also give a special mention to Track 11 - Lost. This track to me showcases the diversity in the album in terms of it's beat and Ocean's lyrics throughout really show he has what it takes to be a long-stay in the Hip Hop scene. Overall for me Channel Orange is already one of my favourite albums of the year and I look forward to seeing where Ocean progresses to from here. To preview or purchase the album on iTunes visit the link below.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/channel-orange/id541953504