Music Review: Mariah Carey's Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

Disclaimer:

Dear Lambs,

I realize that fans of Mariah Carey are some of the most loyal and devoted fans on the planet. Please realize that this is a critical review of Mariah Carey’s latest work. While I have been a fan of many songs in the past, I do criticize problems with tracks that I’ve observed in addition to praising her triumphs. Therefore, those of you who are of the persuasion that Carey can do no wrong may want to read only the first and two final paragraphs, skipping the track-by-track analysis.

All my love,

D. Kareem, The Blackout Blog

Mariah Carey’s much-anticipated Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is out, and I couldn’t wait to review it. While her first single “Obsessed” wasn’t love at first listen for me, it did start to grow on me. Unfortunately, a recent televised performance left me wondering if she’s still “got it.” This wonder was exacerbated by friends’ and online connections’ wildly disparate opinions of Memoirs. Finally, I checked it out for myself.

“Betcha Gon’ Know (The Prologue) starts out like a million r&b intros (slow vamping piano over electronic, hi-hat-heavy percussion), but it evolves into an actual song that’s actually entertaining. Carey sings the verses in octaves, which well for her and shows off her oft forgotten lower register. It’s strangely out of character for Carey to give is a "scurk!" car sound effect in the first verse like a rapper. Then again, it may have been The Dream (who does have a very high voice). The Dream's signature "ey"s are all over the background vocals of the first post-chorus sequence. I love the chords of the bridge/ending of this vengeful song.

“Obsessed” was the first single, which catapulted Carey back into auto-tuned relevance. The slow vamping midi brass seems to brand this song with more of a So So Def badge than Tricky Stewart and The Dream. The trendy use of auto-tune is ironic considering that she’s been such a respected singer. One thing I like about the chorus is that the main line, though it’s recorded in octaves, sounds like a lead vocal, which is ideal for live performance. There’s a light transitional “hum” note in the background going from the first part of the chorus into the second part, which is a technique that Danity Kane used in some of their tracks (most notably “Damaged”). It’s a subtle and effective way to keep the forward motion in this rather long chorus (which is good because there’s really no tension-building pre-chorus). The quick firing off of syllables in the lyrics of the end of both chorus parts adds to the forward motion, and both are examples of great songwriting. The "so-oh-oh-oh" post-chorus chant is brilliantly catchy, and every vocal part works together seamlessly. While the similes in the second verse are cute, the syllabic placement and the parallelism read a little awkwardly (e.g., if compare “you” to “me” in one line, it works better to keep it “you” to “me” in the next line rather than switching to “me” to “you”). The pacing after the second verse doesn’t quite work. Going from the 2-part chorus and “so oh oh” back into a repeat with ad-libs falls a bit flat. The song needs something between the post-chorus and the last round of chorus/post-chorus chant (a problem that is solved in the Gucci Mane remix that’s not on the album). Producers Carey, Stewart, and The Dream put a Band-Aid on the problem by adding vamping pianos on top of the brass vamps, which works to change it up from the previous iteration and highlights the fabulous chord turnaround at the end of each section.

The descending scales on an electronic piano and the guitar plucking in the beginning of “H.A.T.E.U.” took me back to Butterfly. I’ve never been a fan of Carey’s breathy vocal stylings, but they work better for this song than usual. The pre-chorus is a great sonic contrast to the rest of the song because Carey sings it full voice in her lower register, but I would have written different words for it's second iteration (at least the first half of it, anyway). The chorus is a bit wordy, but the simple rhythm and melody helps it flow. The bridge, however, is problematic for a number of reasons. First, the first half has awkward syllabic placement (as if she's just trying to fill notes... especially the 4^th bar). Additionally, the 7^th and 8^th bar sound as if they were comped between 5 different takes. But the last chorus sounds great. After the extremely echoey whistle register note (you know, that glass-breaking range she's famous for), Carey doesn't even need to ad-lib! She just sings the same melody full voice with a "We Belong Together"/"Don't Forget about Us" sustained belt at the end. We’ve heard it before (and you can bet we’ll hear it again!), but I don’t think we’ll get tired of it anytime soon.

The intro to “Candy Bling” almost sounds like the beginning of a T-Pain track mixed with a bit of Butterfly flavor. If Carey’s going to be whispery, I’d rather her do it in her low voice. In the chorus, I might have replaced one of the "love"s with a "girl" to keep it from getting too repetitive. As I listened, I realized that the instrumental doesn't evolve at all between the chorus and the verse, and the 2-bar loop with the electronic keyboard gets tedious. Carey’s ad-libbing at the end sounds great. A whistle register note is absent, and I really didn’t miss it.

“Ribbon” is actually a good use of Carey's whispery vocals. The individual elements of the instrumental are far from distinctive (looped piano, the electronic high hat 16ths and 32nds, the slowed down sample), but the song somehow works. As if The Dream's signature "radio killa" wasn't enough branding at the beginning, Carey adds his "eh eh eh" into her ad-libs at the end of the bridge. I'm kind of upset with Tricky Stewart and The Dream for letting her record those high notes that are less than crystal clear (it's actually the falsetto ones; the whistle register notes are pretty clear). This could have been a problem with Carey’s ego since she was a producer on the track: it’s possible that her co producers were under the influence of an Emperor's-New-Clothes effect (wherein they didn’t want to correct a blatant problem for fear of being chastised).

“Inseparable” has clever interplay between the piano chords in the first 2 beats and the kick drum in the last two beats (each is absent when the other sounds). The rolling of syllables at the end of the first verse contrasts with and leads into the sustained “inseparable” note in the chorus. "Time after Time" allusion reminds me of the Bobby Wolmack and Babyface quotations in "We Belong Together". The Dream’s direction is evident in the second chorus' ad lib (same riff from The Dream’s early single "Falsetto"). The "inseparable" in the chorus goes from a background vocal part to a lead vocal part in Carey’s power belt, but there's a moment in the third measure of the chorus where there are two non-related lead vocals overlapping, which can be a bit confusing for the listener, not to mention problematic for a live performance. The bridge ends abruptly after 4 bars. Through there are a few scratchy moments, her ad-libs sound with classic Carey excellence.

The chorus/intro of “Standing O" has The Dream's stamp on it. The rhyme scheme hitting on every bar is a bit much. Once again, I'm loving Carey's lower register in the pre-chorus. The additional vocals on the 2nd half of the chorus add variation and cool, crunchy harmonies. Both verses are 12 bars, just like "We Belong Together"/"Don't Forget About Us", and, just like those songs, both verses have totally distinct melodies from each other. Bridge/breakdown sounds like a sing-along. It's the same thing twice, but it’s just a bit to wordy for an audience to catch on the first round. From the end of the bridge, the track just keeps getting better. I love the syllabic placement of the ad-libs that rhyme "standing ovation" and "congratulations". I just wish it would have been incorporated into the earlier choruses because it sounds more like a brilliantly written lead vocal (that would be much more interesting than the “oh”s in a live performance) than an ending ad-lib. The use of her whistle register note (as well as the other vocal layering) is a great way to add variation and give the track a powerful ending.

“It's a Wrap” feels like another Carey throwback. It’s the kind of slow jam that makes you bob your head and wave a finger like you're telling someone off without actually moving your mouth (but you have your eyes closed and making that mean face!). The lyrics really give this song so much extra kick. I won't give away the cleverness, but "acquiescent" and "denominator" (in the mathematical sense) are used to make rhymes. Suprisingly, the chorus is the least memorable part of this song; I actually missed it the first time around ("oh, this is the second verse?!"). The bridge repeats a powerful, vamping melody with new lyrics each time. But it'd be a bitch to hit that note over and over live. This is a true "get out" song! And Carey's last ad-lib: I live! The track's already fading out, so you may have to turn up the volume to hear it.

“Up out My Face” another lyrically daring song. The instrumental is very much a So So Def sound (vamping piano with some brass over heavy drums with quick hi hat). It’s been a long time since I've enthusiastically approved of a hip-hop influenced song that Carey's done (probably since "We Belong Together"... which wasn't that hugely hip-hop). My only problem with this track is when she does an octave jump that’s voiced in octaves (so one take was a jump from a low B flat to a middle B flat, and one take was a jump from a middle B flat to a high B flat): it's scratchy an out of synch. You know that silence that comes out before someone hits a note when their voice is tired? It’s slight, but it’s noticeable. Once again, Carey's co-producers shouldn't have let her do that. Either get the takes perfect or rewrite that part. PS, I almost cheered aloud when I heard the a cappella part.

The reprise of this song is so hot, but it doesn't go anywhere. It should have either taken over the last 30 seconds of the track or it should have been a full remix. Also, did anyone notice how the last 6 songs mapped out the stages of a relationship?

“More Than Just Friends” features hip-hop percussion under vamping piano chords with a synth bass. Carey rattles of the words of the verses almost like a rap, rhyming at the end of each bar and maintaining the same rhyme for the whole verse. Also, the lyrics brag about wealth and brands like a hip-hop song, which makes sense because it samples Notorious B.I.G.’s “One More Chance”. While the melody's uninteresting, the whistle register note in the second verse is much higher than we’ve heard from Carey in a while. I think the last time I hear in that range was "Emotions", and it probably came out more clearly than the lower ones because of the intensity of the note (just like it’s harder to make one’s low head/falsetto range sound as clear and strong than the top of one’s head/falsetto voice, I would imagine it works similarly with whistle register). The hook is cute, and the synth-heavy instrumental helps keep the track interesting.

“Impossible” is a whispery slow jam that somehow doesn't annoy the shit out of me. The descending scales on the gentle guitar make it sound a bit like an R. Kelly track (in fact, it reminds me vaguely of "Trapped in the Closet"). The "love you like" series has a bunch of clever similes that range from the opulent to the mundane, and there's a love that every listener can empathize with. The use of a vocoder adds a Zap-and-Roger throwback element to this track. The end of this song is for her fans old enough to remember Jodice's "Forever My Lady". The reprise flows right out of the song and is mostly whispery, echoey ad-libs. It's a bit long for me and gets boring about halfway through.

I get the feeling that “Angel (The Prelude)” may have been an ego track because it's all layered head voice and whistle register runs. It sounds beautiful (thanks to heaps of reverb), but it's a bit much just after the reprise that precedes it. This and the previous track bog down the pacing of the last part of the album.

The intro to “Angels Cry” sounds like it's supposed to carry over to tie it to the prelude. Maybe that worked for the 18 people who bought the physical CD, but for us downloaders ($11.99 on iTunes, $5.99 on Amazon, but Amazon doesn't give you the album jacket), it's a mess. Awkward intro aside, it’s a beautiful ballad, but the percussion is a travesty. I mean, a clap snare? A flat kick drum? And that awful cymbal! This is Mariah Carey, not Soulja Boy Tell 'Em! The bridge is more of a breakdown. While it works, it felt to me like this type of song deserves a much more grand climax. But we do get that great "We Belong Together"/"Don't Forget about Us" belt at the end.

“Languishing (The Interlude)” is primarily a piano ballad with a touch of strings, and it feels like it could have been a b-side from Butterfly. It sounds as if it could be song to the media and Carey's critics. It reminds me of American Idol because it goes right from the verse and first chorus to the bridge. The sequence of lines at the end are too quick for one take on a recording and probably should have been done different takes to avoid the choppy sound her phrasing has (augmented by the fact that Carey breathes at an inopportune time between the phrases), but she may have been going for a purposely live feel. This interlude ends with a just enough of the intro to "I Want To Know What Love Is” to make you pause with a glimmer of recognition if you're not looking at the track list. It works well.

“I Want To Know What Love Is” starts with piano and a snap, slowly bringing in synths as the verse/pre-chorus go. When the percussion comes in, again, it seems wrong (16th hi hats are a bit much, don't ya think? Especially with a clap snare), and it drops out at awkward times in the 2nd verse. Production team, I know the chord progression in the pre-chorus sits on those same chords, but find something to vary it a bit after the second verse because it gets stale! When the backing chorus comes in on the second chorus, it sounds great, but I really could have used another chorus with just Carey singing full voice before they came in. The choir's early entrance is only part of a huge problem of pacing in this arrangement. A key change comes rather abruptly: just after the 2nd time we hear the chorus. I would have probably had Carey ad-lib for 4-8 bars (just over the instrumental, maybe some oos in the background vocals, but not the actual chorus) before going right into it. The key change itself is awkward but extremely clever and keeps the end of the song from dragging like the original by Foreigner. The production team sets it up with a common and effective technique: taking the dominant chord that the chorus ends on and building the tention by extending it for a bar (with appropriate instrumental build) and having Carey work a scale into her ad-lib that leads into the new key. It sounds as if it's modulating up (as most key changes do), but it's actually taking a half step down. The choir just inverts their parts, so they (and Carey) are singing significantly higher. And remember how tension was added before the key change by adding an extra bar? It happens again 8 bars later, which is way too soon! Something like that needs at least 16 bars to breathe if you're going to do it again (which I probably wouldn't have). And the production team misses a great opportunity for an a cappella round of the chorus. The awesome harmonies of that choir with just a hand clap would have been exquisite. If you're gonna add a measure to build tension, it should be bringing the music back from the a cappella chorus. We don’t even get the chorus a full 4 times in this arrangement!

Included on the album are four remixes of “Obsessed”. Interestingly enough, none of the one with Gucci Mane (which is the one remix with its own music video). First is the Cahill Radio Mix, which is a speedy up dance mix. It really emphasized the great syllabic placement in the lyrics, and it has a tremendously danceable beat. It also inserts an interlude between the chorus after the 2nd verse and the big ad-lib round of the chorus, which addresses the aforementioned pacing problem perfectly. The Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit deletes the chord turn around and the rushes of syllables at the end of one of the choruses. It also omits the ad-libs at the end. The instrumental just isn’t that interesting. Jump Smokers Radio Edit is closer to the original rhythm. The percussion is pretty cool, but there’s nothing that jumps out to me as special about this remix outside of the build-up just for the second verse. It does get points for having the most noticeable instrumental variation as the track progresses, especially with the tempo change towards the end. The Frisca and Lamboy Radio Mix brings a more house feel with chords. Slowing down the vocals to half the tempo of the first two remixes probably helps to make this remix more distinctive. It’s well done, but it’s not my favorite of the bunch.

A remix album featuring remixes of every track from Memoirs is in the works. Tricky Stewart has confirmed that he is doing a remix of “I Want To Know What Love Is” (curious to see if he’ll update the pacing). I heard a remix of H.A.T.E.U. by Jermaine Dupri that interpolates "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJs. It doesn’t make me want to go out and buy it, but it does have a cool vibe to it. Much like her remix to “We Belong Together”, Carey rewrites/rerecords her vocals and enlists the help of a couple of rappers (whose verses were forgettable). This, along with the special collector’s edition of Memoirs (complete with 2 white vinyl LPs, a mini Elle magazine booklet and box-set packaging) will surely be must-haves for her most loyal lambs (to be released October 27th).

I have to admit that I was half expecting the same disappointment that I experienced from The Emancipation of Mimi, which had amazing singles and awful hip-hip collaborations. This album has no significant collaborations. But Carey surprised me, proving that she can keep herself relevant and up to date. And when it comes to the ballads, she really brings it for the most part. There are many more scratchy moments than I’d expect on anyone’s R&B album (R&B today is about sounding perfect, even if it's not 'real'). A producer is responsible for making sure the end product is up to par. While I want to say the glaring imperfections on this album are less a problem with her ability/talent and more a problem with the people around her, she did co-produce every track. I have to wonder if Tricky Stewart and The Dream got lazy or if Carey had a hard time being self-critical and correcting herself. Either way, it’s a good album cocked full of great tracks (the only other time I’ve suggested this many individual tracks was for Jazmine Sullivan’s Fearless). That said, I’m still probably going to snicker at her live performances (even if I do cough up the money to see one in person).

Suggested tracks for individual download:

Obsessed

Standing O

It’s a Wrap

Up out My Face

I Want To Know What Love Is

Obsessed Cahill Radio Mix

Maybe:

H.A.T.E.U.

Ribbon

More Than Just Friends

Impossible

Angels Cry

Click here to check out my review of Ciara's Fantasy Ride.

Click here to (pre-)order the Collector's Edition of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.

Click here to check out the JD remix of H.A.T.E.U.