Review Summary: Two steps back.
I don’t obsess over Charlie Puth, but there is no question that his 2018 LP,
Voicenotes, was an overall solid effort and a step in the right direction. While there were relatively few gems on the album, it was stylistically cohesive and an enjoyable listen. The very standard quasi eighties-leaning songwriting was supplemented by what seemed like real sincerity on Puth’s part to provide a quality record to his listeners.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Puth’s third full-length record:
Charlie. While the same songwriting template is being used, the somewhat bleak realism lacing his fun and funky tunes is now the focus of an entire record, and at this point it just sounds hollow.
I’ll be honest: Puth is an excellent multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He knows how to put together a song which is crisp and catchy. The arrangements throughout the record are airtight and he does not fall into the trap of pop artists who like to throw every kind of horn, string, shaker and kitchen sink into the mix. On first listen it’s easy to disregard the drawbacks, because what makes his music likable is that the arrangements are relatively sparse and rely on a locked in rhythm section, well-placed synths, fluid melodies and Puth’s voice to create an impact.
But if that’s all there was to making a record, Charlie Puth would be the next Miles Davis and we’d all be talking about how much of a genius he is. Rather than using the melancholy singles from Voicenotes as a means for further innovation, Puth is relying on them as a songwriting crutch. The album has heartbreak as its focus, but heartbreak was already the subject of his most successful songs and instead of being engrossed in what should be good music, I found myself wondering how many different ways Puth would try to say the same thing.
Therein lies the fundamental flaw with this record. Charlie Puth’s once personal and meaningful approach to his music and lyrics now sounds empty. The earnestness that was present for songs such as “Done For Me” or “Attention” just isn’t there. A brittle shell of the could-have-been-good Charlie Puth is at center stage instead, crooning to anyone who will listen.
Ironically, this album has all the makings of what should be Charlie Puth’s most open, personal, and sincere outing to date and it really does sound like he’s trying. The contradiction, however, between Puth’s efforts and the result in my headphones is, aside from being nearly palpable, pretty disappointing. So while it will likely satisfy the masses of Charlie Puth fans who don’t know any better, it certainly isn’t as good as it should be, and is really just two backward steps for an artist who is probably capable of far more.
