Review Summary: It won't trouble nobody
For a while it was inescapable. That shrill, pitched-up motif, the mellow R&B vocal. I still remember the first time I heard it; 'Lonely'. A track so polished it practically sparkled with agreeable, effervescent energy. Just before slipping into a diabetic coma, I recall an aura that hovered around the track. Sweet and simple, undoubtedly, but still harmless and endearing in a remarkably hokey way. In some ways, this is the ideal representation for Trouble as a body of work, the debut solo full-length by Senegalese-American recording artist Akon. The album is predominantly a by-numbers R&B excursion with few surprises, yet it manages to be mildly engaging and even rousing during its more memorable moments. As an artist, Akon has fought his way through a maelstrom of different stylistic directions during his career, ranging from streetwise, to club-friendly, to world and tribal, and back again. It's been an intriguing career trajectory, yet always very safe and accessible, neatly nestled within the cradle of acceptable pop stylistics. Trouble sees him as more unfocused in his direction as an R&B artist, but perhaps also at his most interesting, willing to flirt with outside influence and craft an album that is generally listenable and does not outstay its welcome.
The album is an appropriately eclectic mix of R&B, streetwise ballads and smooth radio-friendly filler, all drizzled with a liberal serving of early 2000s hip-hop sensibility. On the whole, the combination works, with the darker, edgier tone of a track like single release 'Locked Up' offset by the leering, erotic temper of 'Bananza (Belly Dancer)'. The heavy beat of the former with its looping piano hook contrasts amicably with the middle-east inspired trilling and vocalisations of the latter, and although the topics are plainly different, the essence of both converge in their portrayal of streetwise themes and typical R&B preoccupations. 'Locked Up', especially, although a shade too long and lacking in musical development is a pleasingly atmospheric track, and an appropriate opener for the album. Similarly, 'When The Time's Right', fulfils the duties of the back-up smutty song, and is probably the better track when compared to 'Bananza'. It has a larger-than-life feel and begins with a cliché but well-performed introduction that serves the composition in a fitting way. A contorting verse-structure, a catchy chorus and well-produced instrumental track all equate to an enjoyable, innocuous outing. Trouble's lyrical content is limited mostly to the usual content for an album of this ilk; legal issues, women, hustling, perseverance etc. All are well-worn themes but the album doesn't profess to provide some illusive insight into such subjects; they're R&B topics as observed through a pop-centric lens, and as such the themes are generally relatable, but offer little in the way of vision or understanding.
'Gangsta' is the only song with any real attempted punch to its tone and theme, as the title would suggest. It grabs attention immediately and starts out strong, but soon gives out to weak verses and an underwritten chorus. The orchestral refrains and segues in the track are interesting additions in the context of the composition, but unfortunately it is simply too lazy an excursion to carry the attempted grandiosity. 'Trouble Nobody' has a similar issue but in reverse, in that the generally interesting theme of the track is not sustained by the bland, repetitive beat and lazy chorus. Closer 'Don't Let Up', a sister piece of sorts to the infamous 'Lonely', is virtually the exact same song with a far less engaging theme, as unlikely as that sounds. It is all here; the high-pitched chorus refrain, the sugary-sweet hook and the chipper, looping beat. The more engaging emotional moments on Trouble come in the form of ballads, and they are 50/50 in terms of quality. 'Ghetto' is a solid and potently wrenching track with a simple beat and pleasantly minimalist production. The vocal is by turns melodic, pleading, wistful. It's an odd and unlikely standout on the album, and although it is by no means a marvel of the genre, it is one of the few tracks that exhibits some degree of staying power. Conversely, 'Show Out' and 'Journey' are perfectly serviceable in their adherence to pop and R&B conventions, and manage to conjure up the attempted imagery with flair and even a mild sense of whimsy. Yet their appeal is fleeting at best and they are conventional in a way that becomes mundane very quickly, which is unfortunate given their bouncy tempos and uplifting vibe. 'Trouble Nobody' and 'Pot Of Gold', on the other hand, are pure filler.
As lukewarm as Trouble is as a whole, it is far from an unpleasant experience. Akon has since gone on to experiment with his musical style in a markedly more bombastic way on future releases, refining certain aspects of his sound whilst ousting other attributes altogether. Where this would usually be attributed to a lack of vision, in Akon's case I don't feel this is a fair assessment of his messy musical output. Whether through the heavier leaning on gangsta-lite attitudes as seen in Konvicted or the misguided club-friendly bops of follow-up dud Freedom, Akon clearly has an extreme multi-faceted vision, rather than a directionless meandering. This has since manifested in an unnecessarily labyrinthine mishmash of assorted styles and influences that have only occasionally gelled cohesively. Yet, on Trouble, it is plain to see all of the component pieces that would later become so emphasized on future releases. Some of these choices come across as uncertain, and are implemented in somewhat awkward ways, yet the embryonic starting point for many musical designs later explored are seen here, and there's some degree of novelty value there. Unfortunately, though, Trouble for the most part feels ensnared by its own parameters as a pop album, and as a result is unable to explore the full range of its sounds and ideas as it would like. However, for what it is worth; undeveloped and unchallenging as it is, the ride is still enjoyable and will offer a bittersweet shot of nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the early 2000s.
