808s and Heartbreak - Stratetized

First and foremost, I have to confess that I am - and always have been - a huge Kanye fan, musically. Off-record, however, I think he wilds out to the point where his palpable passion is trumped by absolute arrogance. That aside, I got my head out of the blog speculation for an hour and sat down to listen to Mr. West's latest offering, 808s and Heartbreak. With the myriad reviews today from 50-11 media outlets, I have to admit: I haven't read one. I'll definitely go in on a select few later today. I can't help it. I mean, his face was staring at me first thing this morning. But the need to Stratetize this album, sans influence, was too great.

Unfortunately, with every leaked song, came more hate for 808s, until I started to wonder, "are people that scared of change and experimentation from successful, established, artists?" I read a Rolling Stone article recently that poignantly professed, musical genres - and the artists that shape them - are nothing if they aren't pushed and tested. But at the same time, how much Auto-Tune can one person listen to? I'm all for rappers making an entire album singing (see: Foreign Exchange). But in Ye's case, he really can't sing very well. And the use of A-T is an obvious crutch.

College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, 808s and Heartbreak...hmmm.

Let's take a look at some of the influences for this album which may help shed some light:

-The passing of Donda West
-Separation from fiancee Alexis Phifer

-Super duper rockstar status

-Fascination with the Roland TR-808 drum machine and Auto-Tune

-General adoration with outer worldly things

-Desire to produce from scratch. A complete departure from the sample-heavy West we are used to.

Interesting. Now check the jump for a track-by-track rundown...

Say You Will

This song sounds like heartbeats strapped to an IV fighting for dear life with angels singing in the background. Auto-Tuned or not, Kanye flexes some melody skills on this one.

Welcome to Heartbreak (feat. Kid CuDi)

The heartbreak has arrived. This is one of my favorite joints on the album. Kanye spits brutal honestly about superstardom and real life accompanied by a dramatic hook courtesy of CuDi. A welcome and humble departure from flashy Kanye.

Heartless

The production on this is crazy. It reminds me of a combo of Dr. Dre and an alien. This is the grown folk relationship dis record.

Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy)

Not a huge fan of this record. To me, it drags a little. But I cannot front on the production. It is stellar. At least Jeezy didn't feel the need to use A-T.

Love Lockdown
This record works way better in the context of the album as opposed to leaked. I do still think the remixes are better, though.

Paranoid (feat. Mr. Hudson)
Single #4? This shit works on so many levels. Kanye really flipped the 808s. It's one of the catchier beats/hooks on the album. Try to not dance to Paranoid, I dare you. Also, this one really hit home with me from a relationship standpoint. Why are girls so paranoid? Huh?

RoboCop
My favorite part of this song is the last minute and a half. Under the backdrop of violins, Kanye condescendingly gets at his "spoiled little L.A. girl."

Street Lights
Another gem. This is on some movie-slow-motion-dramatic-scene-shit. The filled out harmonies work really well also.

Bad News
Skip.

See You In My Nightmares (feat. Weezy)
Listen for Weezy. Next time, skip.

Coldest Winter
On this ode to his deceased mother, Kanye effectively rocks your core with big tom-toms and explicit songwriting.

Pinocchio Story (Freestyle live from Singapore)
This is 'Ye's international rockstar moment. Bare-naked on stage (figuratively speaking); stripped down to the core. You can hear his heart break.

With all the bravado Kanye is known for, is 808s an honest tale of the man behind the mask? Or just an arrogant representation of common feelings? You decide.