(SONY MUSIC KOREA)
Michael Jackson is back. Sort of.
The King of Pop’s first posthumous album (one of 10 to be commissioned by Sony through 2017) compiles clips, pre-recordings, notes, scratches and semblances of the legend — though without the perfected posh and gleam.
The 10-track album pulls from within its archives of Jackson footage, finding audio clips from the “Thriller” days to more recent collaborations. The tackled time frame allows for a genre-diverse release that captures R&B ballads and that staccato falsetto voice with carefully punctuating melodies.
The release and its future follow-ups have reigned in criticism from the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am to the singer’s family, but it’s difficult to ignore the assuaging quality of the album for still-pained ultra-fans.
“Michael” boasts that all vocals are purely Jackson — if, perhaps, manipulated at times for a cleaner sound a la Auto-Tune — and tracks provide a keener insight into the unfinished work of the legend. “Hollywood Tonight” sees Jackson beatboxing while a phone recording opens the following “(I Like) the Way You Love Me.” The latter is a particularly charming innocent call with Jackson wooing and “woo”ing through a rough-cut version of the track.
Co-created tracks such as first single “Hold My Hand” sees the utter failure of collaboration, with the opening number a catchy, if Akon-dominated offering, and the computer-affected “Monster” (50 Cent) ringing with an adverse robotic quality. Lenny Kravitz contributes a fairly lame guitar riff in “(I Can’t Make It) Another Day.”
But the release brings to the table a level of sad authenticity that its vocals sometimes fall short of reaching. While photocopied post-its and memos bearing Jackson’s handwriting provide insights into his then-mindset, the material brings a hint of dark realism. “Breaking News,” introduced with clips of newscasts, is a self-aware glance into the fallen humanity of the hungry paparazzi.
But it’s the final tracks that’ll grab the attention of even those who swear off these “tasteless” endeavors to revive Jackson. “Behind the Mask” sees both Jackson’s progressive story-telling and synthesizer mastery. “Much Too Soon” is the winning ballad with Beatle-esque acoustic plucking and pure, unadulterated MJ vocals.
Why we recommend it: The King of Pop’s death was a blow to the world. While half the population seeking an MJ canon suffers from withdrawal, the other half satiates the void with this.
Best tracks: “(I Like) the Way You Love Me,” “Behind the Mask,” “Much Too Soon”
— INES MIN