Heartbreak done right

We’ve dropped out of college, re-registered and graduated with Kanye West. Now comes the post-graduation identity crisis.

After three groundbreaking rap albums, the rapper makes his boldest move yet by baring his soul without rapping and instead singing with an Auto-Tune effect and with heavy use of Roland-TR 808 drum machines.

But these bold moves have evoked extreme reactions, with some saying Kanye is committing career suicide and others saying these changes makes him the greatest artist in music. However, 808s & Heartbreak fits neither extreme. Though it is his worst release to date, the album displays Kanye’s incredible musicianship through this creative new direction.

Kanye sets the tone for the album with the barren “Say You Will,” a desperate cry to the woman who broke his heart. “Welcome To Heartbreak” exhibits Kanye’s excellent wordplay, demonstrating through a fictional discussion on an airplane with a man in first class how materialism can’t fill the hole of loneliness.

However, Kanye’s new formula is hit or miss, with the next couple of songs not living up to the strong opening. “Heartless” finds the Auto-Tune effect used to an obnoxious degree, and “Amazing” is forgettable even with the help of Young Jeezy.

Kanye hits his stride with the album’s three finest tracks: “Love Lockdown,” “Paranoid” and “RoboCop.”

“Love Lockdown” has a great hypnotic quality that leads into a memorable chorus with a great piano melody to match. “Paranoid” is a peppy track that sounds straight from the 1980s and which will likely be the record’s next big hit.

“RoboCop” hits hard with the strong beat and counters with uplifting strings that make up for the clunky lyrics.

The continued use of 808s, piano, strings and Auto-Tune leads to the album becoming monotonous near the end. Heartbreak succeeds in matching the music to its message and demonstrates Kanye’s incredible ability as a musician and a producer.

If nothing else, 808s & Heartbreak shows an artist in mainstream music less worried about public opinion than artistic expression, and that in itself is a rare quality.