Search - Travie McCoy :: Lazarus

3 Stars: Dude was Meant to Be a Solo Act

Bryan A. Mabe | Portland, Oregon, USA | 06/08/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Gym Class Heroes have always been a group that has blurred the lines between hip-hop and rock, which hip-hop purists often had a problem with. They never garnered the fame they probably deserved. But when you take arguably the best thing out of The Gym Class Heroes (Travis McCoy), you get "Lazarus." This album is infused by "feel good" hip-hop and rock that feels almost impossible NOT to enjoy. The beats aren't backed by a band, like Gym Class, but are backed by studio beats that seem more clean and full. The album is not a classic, but is a great album that should help Travis (or Travie as he calls himself), into MTV and radio stardom.



1. Dr. Feel Good f/Cee-Lo Green - 4/5 - This first track on the album has "feel good" in the title and that is exactly what it does for the listener. It is an upbeat track which sets the mood for the album and gives the listener an idea as to where Travis is going to take his debut solo album. His witty wordplay is set forth, along with a decent beat to back it. A great track.



2. Superbad - 3/5 - This track has a lot rock influence, but the vibe of the track is very deep and makes the listener surrender to the feel of the track. Travis mostly "sings" the lyrics along with the heavy rock beat. It's an interesting placement for the song, however, coming after "Dr. Feel Good," because this track seems to have more of a saddened feel or "lost" feeling. A good one though



3. Billionaire f/Bruno Mars - 5/5 - Who can't relate to this song? Radio might have overplayed this track by the time the album drops, but it does not force it to be stale. Bruno Mars is one of those features that will become the norm within the next year. He's already got himself onto another radio smash (B.O.B.'s "Nothin' On You"), but with this track he is free to go off a little more. Travis' lyrics go well with the "reggae" tinged beat that one cannot help but like. Excellent song.



4. Need You - 3/5 - This is a track that follows "Superbad" a bit, in it's rock influence, but leans more on the lyrics. This song reflects on his past relationship with Katy Perry, which is surprising that it took 4 tracks in for it to become the subject. But his pain shows with this track, but at the same time, he plays with a "feel good" way of expressing his complexities. A good track.



5. Critical - 4/5 - Another track, which follows "Need You" well with its subject matter. Travis "sings" the lyrics and extenuates the theme of the track with a touch of "autotune." However, it's not enough to even notice that he uses anything, it's just a slight touch to make the feel of the song that much more effective. It shows he's got some issues a bit that he wants to deal with. Great song.



6. Akidagain - 5/5 - This track samples a classic song, "Back in the Day." And it brings me back to my day as Travis goes off on his childhood and growing up into the man he is now. He talks about "G.I. Joe wars" in his front yard. Being apart of his generation, I can relate completely. Even if you aren't part of it, one can relate because it gives a sense of what is missing in hip-hop and kid's lives now. Excellent track.



7. We'll Be Alright - 5/5 - This is my favorite track on the album. It brings me back to the house party days and summer nights. The carefree, feel good track on the album, finds Travis reciting lyrics rather than rapping them. But the chorus is effective and I can't see how anyone can't like this track. Excellent



8. The Manual f/T-Pain and Young Cash - 4/5 - "The Manual" is probably the most hip-hop influenced track on the album. It has a great beat and an even better chorus. Even with T-Pain drowning in his own autotune, the song is one of the best on the album. Another feel good track. A great song.



9. After Midnight (It'll Burn) - 4/5 - Another great "rock" song with a touch of hip-hop. Another track that anyone can relate to. Releasing all the stress or mundane feel after a day of work or school, this track expresses perfectly the need to let go. A great song.



10. Don't Pretend - 4/5 - This track is very deep and effective. It's subject matter is directly sent to Katy Perry and her new relationship. The listener can feel his pain. For an album that mostly makes you feel good, this last track leaves us feeling little down. I would have liked it for "After Midnight" to be the last song, but all in all, "Don't Pretend" will leave the listener in silence for a few minutes of reflection.



With only 10 tracks, it is tough to merit paying [...] bucks. A dollar a song seems okay if it were iTunes, but not an album. I wish he would have offered a bit more because each of the songs short lengths make the entire album go by very quickly. I would have been happy with 13 or so, but 10 is very short.



Those of you who don't like Gym Class Heroes, probably won't enjoy this album, but most of you will. If he added a bit more pure hip-hop tracks, it would have felt a bit more complete. An above average album though. Good songs with no fillers or skippable tracks, but leaves us not feeling like it is a "complete" album. With more songs and little more pure hip-hop, this album could have been 5 stars. I recommend sampling each track to see if it would benefit you to download the album, song by song by Amazon, rather than purchase the entire album. Go and out and support some good music."

'Lazarus' [REVIEW]

Antoine D. Reid | Durham, NC United States | 06/09/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Travis (or Travie) McCoy, lead singer of Gym Class Heroes, is trying his hand at a solo career. 'Lazarus', for me, isn't a perfect album. There are some tracks that are good and yet a majority that don't warrant another listen after one play. If anything, 'Lazarus' is an experiment - it's 'Travis' from Gym Class Heroes, known for his rapping, lyrical, hip-hop style "dying" to give way to the solo artist Travie who doesn't quite seem to know where he fits into the musical scene. There are moments of familiarity with McCoy's personal lyrical style, pulling from his childhood experiences and weaving it into a gripping song with a great hook. Then there's moments when you sense he's playing with a new style and isn't as confident or sure of himself as an artist to pull off the song.



The Good: Travie is at his best when the singing (or rapping) about his childhood. I've always found him to be at his best and most convincing within Gym Class Heroes when he's able to connect with the music and words. On "Akidagain", there's a very retro, juvenile feel and vibe to the song and Travie turns the song into a re-telling of childhood memories with an infectious hook that's also a big sample from the past. "Billonaire", the first single from the album, is another moment in the album where he seems very sure of himself and convincing in what he's singing - here he describes his aspirations and wishes for fame and fortune. With this being a solo record, he does take a few chances with his style that sets this apart from being a Gym Class Heroes release. He actually sings rather than raps on a few tracks with varying degrees of success. On "Need You", the lyrics are suggestive of a ballad but the song itself is fast paced, upbeat and more rock than hip-hop. "After Midnight" is very pop and light and has both some raps and actual singing, changing up the pace of the album.



The Bad: My main issue with the album is that with the album being just 10 tracks, barely 35 minutes, I felt my attention waning and wandering quickly. My issue isn't with his rapping or singing but simply with the production of the songs. A few of the tracks, if listened to after one another, really sound rhythmically similar, giving the album a monotonous and dull vibe. The vibe/style of "Dr. Feel Good (feat. Cee Lo Green)" and "The Manual" are so similar that I thought I was listening to the same track. "Critical" and "Superbad" both have hints of rock influence and feel as if they were produced in the same session. In other words, there really isn't much variety in sounds and music. The album's weak point is the production value in that the music really doesn't do much to show-off Travie McCoy as a solo artist. The album feels a bit like an EP than a finished product, as if there's more to it or what's presented is just a sampling of what's being offered. After two listens, there were only two or three tracks that stood out to me and those could easily be considered Gym Class Heroes-styled tracks and music.



In all, I really don't think this is worth purchasing. The music is monotonous, at times boring, with not enough variety. While I'm glad McCoy tried his hand at singing rather than rapping the entire album, the tracks where he rapped did work better and felt more convincing. The other tracks felt as if he was experimenting, attempting to imitate other artists and groups, and wasn't into the music. Download a few of the tracks but don't feel the need to splurge on the entire album.



Listen to These: "Akidagain", "After Midnight", "Billionaire""

GREAT ALBUM

Jarrod Galton | CRAZY!! | 06/17/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Travie McCoy has gone solo and with a great outcome. Lazarus is the type of album that makes you feel good. It is a great album for the summer. Travie shines through on most of the tracks. Travie shows his ability to rap as well as sing. He shows his love for many genres meshing his influences together and coming out with a unique sound. With songs like 'Billionaire' and 'We'll Be Alright' the summer gets started off strong. Do not listen to the many haters who are knocking this album. It is a great artistic expression. At first i questioned why did he go solo? But as i listened to the album it became clear this album is not the same as The Gym Class Heroes. Travie had something to say so he released a solo album to say it. Still can not wait for the next GCH album but this will tide me over. Go pick this album up if you like Outkast, Gnarls Barkley or GCH"