Anderson .Paak’s critically acclaimed album Oxnard has a twin, and its name is Ventura. The two albums were actually made simultaneously, but .Paak chose to release Ventura half a year later. With Ventura released in April, we’ll delve deeper into what his fourth and latest album has to offer his fans.
Both Ventura and Oxnard are California towns that have a huge significance for Anderson .Paak. He talks of Oxnard as the place that gave him what he needed to find his voice. Ventura on the other hand was where he found his depth. Similarly, the album sees him going back to his roots. We see more R&B material in this album that is reminiscent of the music that caused his rise to fame a couple of years ago. On another note, the album also pays homage to .Paak’s vintage funk and retro R&B idols with each track.
When talking of the themes surrounding Ventura, Rolling Stone describes it as an un-pop concert because of how it explores “the sustained, sometimes unsexy effort necessary to create something lasting, whether it’s social change or a healthy relationship.” His track ‘Make It Better’ explores the former, with an opening line that goes “How do you mend when you’re worlds apart?” Then we go on to hear the musician inviting his lover to “make new memories” and “try some new seduction.” The steady love song also features Motown institution Smokey Robinson, which only solidifies the claim that the song lies somewhere between a modern R&B single and a Motown classic.
The track ‘King James’ on the other hand explores sustaining social change. The song is a tribute to LeBron James, and is an ode to black resistance and political action. The lyrics go “we salute King James for using his change/ To create some equal opportunities”. The single has a chilled-out mid-tempo vibe that is reminiscent of how Stevie Wonder or Curtis Mayfield approach protest music: with a nurturing groove rather than a rallying cry.
The album as a whole sees .Paak settling into his old polished grooves in search for comfort. The soothing soul pallet is a nice respite from the rap filled Oxnard album, and the style makes his tracks all the more reminiscent of the funk classics. To amplify his edgy and expressive funk vocals, the Oxnard-born musician is known to record with a Sony C-800G Tube Microphone. Tools like this help .Paak retain the silky breathiness of his vocals. This coupled with guitar reverb pedals help create the bold yet soothing tones his tracks are known for. The MXR Reverb pedal is part of Anderson .Paak’s setup. The pedal’s known to have “six distinct high end reverb styles” giving the musician a wide range of tone choices. This is one reason why .Paak is able to distinguish himself from his contemporaries. He is able to use the guitar pedal to complement his unique vocals and create a distinct brand of music that is both modern and retrospective.
Pitchfork suggests that the new album can be traced back to funk rock classics such as Parliament-Funkadelic, Frankie Beverly & Maze and Stevie Wonder; while also bringing us back to classic Anderson .Paak. Finally, after the ‘hard left turn’ that was Oxnard, he finally brings us back home to the bubbly smooth gliding strokes that got him noticed in the first place.
