Instant Classic
Enlightened | Atlanta Georgia | 10/08/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bruno Mars literally sprung up out of nowhere this year when he appeared on B.O.B.'s hit single Nothin On You. He had an undeniably smooth voice with a unique quality that made him instantly likable. I will admit that Bruno Mars does show flashes of Michael Jackson in his voice in the same type of way that Ne-Yo has some shades of MJ in his voice. This is not to say he sings or sounds like Michael, just that certain notes he hits reminds of the late great. However that little quality did not cause me to overrate this album. Bruno Mars is extremely talented and is a star waiting to happen.
Having also appeared on Travie McCoy's successful single Billionaire as well as helping produce the magnificent Cee-Lo Green single "F You", Bruno finally drops his much anticipated album. Earlier he released a 4 song EP "Its Better If You Don't Understand" which was a great record. However, 3 of those 4 songs made it to his debut album Doo Wops & Hooligans. That would not be so bad if the album was longer than 10 tracks. It's still not really a problem since the album is filled with great songs. The single Just The Way You Are is 5 stars all the way as well as Grenade, Talking To The Moon and Lazy Song. Bruno Mars mixes soul with reggae and pop but does so effortlessly and with such style and grace. Vocally he's one of the best male singers to emerge in quite a while and the production is timeless. The lyrics are original and sung with passion. Cee-Lo Green, B.O.B., and Damian Marley make cameos but Bruno was not outshined on his own project.
Doo Wops & Hooligans is easily one of the better albums of the year. I'd rank it up there with Janelle Monae, Nneka, and Corinne Bailey Rae's efforts. It's unfortunate that Bruno Mars has encountered a bit of trouble as this album was released but it's easy to see he has the talent to be a cornerstone in music for years to come. 5 stars."