Review

T-PAIN: Epiphany

Backed by Akon, Tallahassee native T-Pain is the rapper-turned-singer both loved and hated by the R&B community. While commercial listeners seem to be addicted to his catchy hooks and comedic wordplay, street R&B fans have voiced distaste for the singer’s synthesized chords, which has lead critics to believe that T-Pain doesn’t actually possess any vocal skills. Those haters should be pleasantly surprised by the album’s positive start. Littered with a Dr. Dre-like piano arrangement, the production featured on the album’s intro, will have people thinking, “Damn! Is this really T-Pain?” Following on from this, ‘Church’ is a fast-paced and optimistic record that easily pleases the ear. Continuing to walk the path of good tunes, T-Pain turns the serious matter of catching HIV in to the album’s finest moment. Controlled and natural vocals allow T-Pain to enter a territory of which he has been a stranger, up until now. With not a single vocal adjustment in sight, ‘Suicide’ signals a growth in the Florida singer’s musical ability.

As the album comes to a close it starts to sound irritatingly samey, but the opening tracks make up for its weak and ill-fated ending.
Words Will Lavin