If you haven't heard the name Mark Ronson, get ready. With the release of his debut album, Here Comes the Fuzz, his name is sure to be hitting new ears everywhere, along with his music. Ronson gained enough recognition while mixing in New York City to attract many featured artists, and this album is sure to bring him only more enthusiasts.
The consistently solid, danceable beat on every track makes it impossible to listen to without a certain amount of head-nodding, and the lack of lifted hooks is refreshing in a world of remixed hip-hop.
The CD flows in a way only a DJ could create, melting beats from one track smoothly into the next. Many songs cross musical genres with a creativity that can't be claimed by radio hip-hop. Although Ronson can not claim the creation of any shockingly new musical styles, it is new to find so many of them all on one album.
\Bluegrass Stain'd,"" featuring Nappy Roots and Anthony Hamilton, could fit easily into any Outkast album with its mix of ""dirty south"" rap and a funky beat. ""Ooh Wee,"" featuring Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg and Trife, is the most radio-friendly of all the songs on the album, with visions of bouncing convertibles attracting onlookers all down the street.
The CD falls a little flat with ""High,"" featuring Aya. The song is a female version of Justin Timberlake's ""Rock Your Body"" with a slightly more disco feel. Also dragging it down is ""I Suck,"" featuring Rivers Cuomo, due to its unoriginal lyrics such as ""I suck.""
It is incredibly redeemed, however, with the title track, ""Here Comes the Fuzz,"" featuring Freeway and Nikka Costa. This song is the most original on the album, offering a hard rock feel in the heavy guitar beat, but most impressive are the vocals of Nikka Costa. She belts out a surprising series of lyrics so hot and tough, even dear Christina would be jealous.
Unfortunately, at only three minutes, this song is a small taste and the album falls quickly back into the ""good"" range, with the exception of ""Tomorrow,"" featuring Q-Tip and Debi Nova. This bouncy, Latin-infused song is perfect for a Friday night.
Mark Ronson has talent; there is no doubt about that. This CD could bring to life a lagging house party, but Ronson seems only at the cusp of his ability.
With a little creativity and maybe a little more experience, he could bring out an album with much more originality that would better showcase his skills. The album is definitely worth a listen, or better yet a full-on dance party.
