Artist: Mike Posner
Album: 31 Minutes To Takeoff
Release Date: 8.10.2010
There’s a massive hype machine thrown behind Mike Posner and, for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. This isn’t a review to spew hate, but I question the legitimacy of J. Records for pushing this guy down the throats of pop music fans when his debut album 31 Minutes To Takeoff doesn’t live up to the hype surrounding his name. There’s nothing on the album that’s complete garbage, but in the range of adjectives I’d use to describe an album, this barely arrives at mediocre.
With his lead single Cooler Than Me somehow peaking at #6 on the Hot 100 (Billboard), some might expect Posner’s debut to be a bit more… memorable. The album is mostly colored with electric pop and heavy synth notions, topped off with Posner’s light and airy vocals. Nothing here brings a freshness to the scene, including his lead single which echoes the style most recently made popular by acts like Jason Mraz. One of the album’s few highlights is a contribution from Bruno Mars with production from The Smeezingtons, Bow Chicka Wow Wow, the smoothest of offerings that presents a different side – still mellow but with a bit more sex appeal. Please Don’t Go is the followup single, heavy on the synth and percussion but less appealing than its predecessor. Other notable songs on the album include the fiery Cheated (which should be a single) and Delta 1406, the only truly personal song on the record. There’s a more organic, funkier feel to Do U Wanna, making it a standout on the album with its deviant sound. It’s this sound that fits Posner the best, it brings out the authenticity in his vocals – a factor missing from most of the remaining songs on the album
Boyz II Men actually appears on Déjà vu and I rather wish they hadn’t. As one of the most favored groups in R&B, they really don’t fit on this record. Then there are songs like Save Your Goodbye and Synthesizer, where the vocals fail to get as expansive as the production. If there was any range in Posner’s register, this is where it should’ve shined.
31 Minutes To Takeoff goes heavy on the beats, light on the vocals, and practically nowhere in terms of content. The music scene is being overrun by pop stars and this debut effort doesn’t do much to keep Posner memorable against the likes of Jason DeRulo and Taio Cruz. If there is truly a talent to be enjoyed in Posner it won’t be found in large quantity on this album, where a simple takeoff becomes a failure to launch.
Sound-Savvy rates 31 Minutes To Takeoff with 2 out of 5 platinum headphones
just skimmed ur mike posner review, #deadon, I keep hearing the same from everyone I talk to, he has a good PR team. LOL