Frank Ocean is without a doubt talented. Super talented. But, he is also a couple of other things. A

Frank Ocean is without a doubt talented. Super talented. But, he is also a couple of other things. An anomaly and a game changer. In the world of R B and soul music he is in good company. Think, in no particular order, the likes of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, James Brown, and Curtis Mayfield, etc. And he is particularly fond of Otis Redding, Issac Hayes, and Marvin Gaye. But what he does, and continues to do is closer to what Prince represents in terms of an expansive musicality. And quite honestly he ll be the first to tell you he doesn t possess the guitar chops of Van Halen nor does he know any secret chords like Saint David but man can this kid draw lines from a wide variety of influences. Of course, all musicians draw influence from what has come before, but Mr. Ocean casts his net into the whole tapestry of music, or so it seems. Make no mistake discount hotel rates his is an ear cocked in unlikely directions. So, if you haven t listened to Frank Ocean s nostalgia, ULTRA mixtape (FREE DOWNLOAD) I implore you give it a listen. If you re a fan and an avid listener of music you know about the Radiohead discount hotel rates and MGMT samples. But then, there is the beautifully hijacked Eagles Hotel California and Coldplay Strawberry Swing takeovers. On these quasi-renditions he leaves the music intact but inlays his own reworked lyrics effortlessly, and seamlessly atop.
And still, there is so much more. Because, it s not only the music, (although he is the veritable musical contortionist) but it is too the unconventional lyrics as well. Listen to fan favorite discount hotel rates There Will Be Tears with its varying tempo and heart-on-a-sleeve subject matter. It is songs like this, but also Swim Good and We All Try which put this young visionary into a singular category, because thematically he breathes rarefied air into the aforementioned touching songs. Yes, Mr. Ocean is different. But different in a good and wholly unique way. His music deviates, in subtle ways from the canon of the neo-soul movement. His latest offering, Pyramids, which according to unofficial industry murmurs will appear on his debut Def Jam release. This song, in my opinion is more in the vein of Novacane and Lovecrimes, but that isn t a necessarily a bad thing at all. Plus, this track clocks in at just under 10:00 minutes, making it the longest and deeply steeped R B track to date. And all this leads up to the expectations of Frank Ocean s debut album release Channel Orange set to drop July 17th via Def Jam. I am excited, expectant and hopeful. Are you? Peace.