He’s trying to ‘get go get her go get her back”. Whether you agree with Thicke’s exploitation of his situation or not, there is no denying that Thicke is talented and Paula showcases every aspect of it.
The Songwriting
Thicke wrote the whole album himself with only a little help from other songwriters. He successfully told different aspects of the separation. On “Forever Love” he tries to convince her that they are better together, crooning “I can’t carry the weight around baby/How could I have ever belonged/Learning all my lessons/Dangerous impressions/Pushed you right out of my world/I know that you and I have tried very hard to find a different result/But how can we be patient when we're always racing/And no one’s ever there to hold.” Then, he jealously yet brilliantly tell a story from his wife’s point of view like on “Whatever I Want” where he sings about how Paula can see other people if she wanted too, crooning “Deeply intrigued by what you’ve never had/Emotion explosions none of which are mad/Now every dream you feel is coming true/Cause there ain’t nobody to tell you what to do
The Vocals
The diversity of his voice despite the whole album being created around a similar emotion is impressive and that diversity is what is missing in the male vocalist of today. His rock-inspired singing style on “Living in New York” gives off a James Brown and Little Richard vibe. He’s able to stay in that era but switches up to a ‘Beatles vibe for “Opposite of Me.” “Get Her Back” shows the Grammy nominated artist’s smooth vocal ability without having the listener drifting away.
The Sound
Thicke produced the whole album himself. The classic female background vocals he used for the album was genius. By doing that it feels like a personal conversation between him and his wife where both parties are listening to each other. Thicke also did a great job with creating a theme that wasn’t sappy and depressing but sorrowful and hopeful.
It’s an album that is sure to overlooked, which is ashamed because great music like this doesn’t come around often.
Image courtesy of Amazon Marketplace