Another strong stride

You could be forgiven for thinking New Orleans rapper Curren$y just appeared out of thin air.

Last year saw the release of two excellent “Pilot Talk” albums, he’s released two more albums this year with another in the can and has planned a third installment of “Pilot Talk.”

Even with all that activity, there’s no creative let up on “Weekend at Burnie’s.”
Curren$y’s album is probably the best publicity “Weekend at Bernie’s” has gotten since “The Office” referenced it, but thankfully the reference is confined to the title.
The lyrics are confined to standard rap themes: money, fancy cars, the multiple women who want to have sex with you.

Curren$y doesn’t bother to delve into anything particularly deep. Instead he focuses on cultivating a more playful atmosphere. Key to that atmosphere is the excellent production.

The songs have an attraction that goes beyond lyrics alone.

Two-thirds of the songs are produced by Monsta Beatz, who utilizes synthesizers and a bass that occasionally sounds like a human being might have played it to create a textured and full-bodied sound.

It’s refreshing, especially if you’re used to rap songs with harsh, minimalist beats.
The focus on synths also works well with the current resurgence of synth-pop.
Curren$y is often in danger of rapping too much about how often he likes to get high.
Luckily, “Weekend at Burnie’s” manages to divert enough of the focus to the music and away from the occasionally juvenile lyrics to make a strong statement: Curren$y seems to be able to turn out a seemingly endless stream of strong albums.