Send "Frank Ocean " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Absolutepunk |
 First impressions are everything, as they say. This was pretty much mine in regards to Frank Ocean's debut full length, Nostalgia/Ultra: There is no fucking way this album was birthed from Odd Future, the same over-the-top shock-rap collective that spawned the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Hodgy Beats and the slack-jawed youngin' Earl Sweatshirt. There is no way. Compared to his OFWGKTA counterparts, the silky smooth R&B vocalist Frank Ocean is like the angel on the shoulder of the L.A. group that has began to blow up thanks in part to Tyler's apocalyptic video for "Yonkers," their first TV appearance on Fallon and a subsequent interview with MTV. Ocean is the antithesis of the group's releases to this point. In the words of Samuel L: "the dude ain't in the same fuckin' ballpark, he ain't in the same league, he ain't even in the same fuckin' sport." He's the only shred of light in the dark, twisted, swagged-out haze of a tunnel that is Odd Future, and it makes the group that much more mysterious, complex and intriguing.Unlike most of Odd Future's output thus far - known for their off-the-wall hip-hop featuring their signature abrasive, obscene lyrics and gloomy, lurching production - Frank Ocean opts for sensual R&B, in the vein of early Chris Brown, The-Dream, and Usher. The beats are glossy and molasses-paced and the lyrics revolve around drug use, backseats, love and women - without the usual OF rape and torture innuendos. He also goes for a more throwback '90s R&B style - steeped in nostalgia, free of auto-tune (for the most part), unashamed of showing his sensual side and always looking to please the next woman that walks by. And he makes that pretty clear in the lead single "Songs For Women"by claiming, "And every time someone asks me if I sing songs to get at women, I say yeah." Other than "American Wedding" and "Nature Feels," which sample The Eagle's "Hotel California" and MGMT's "Electric Feel" respectively, the beats are unique, well-executed originals on par with other OF releases. As far as the genre goes, Ocean's beats are really top-notch and on point. For the most part these aren't club bangers, but smooth, bedroom-type grooves like "There Will Be Tears,""Dust," and "Novacane." Other songs like the hard-hitting "Swim Good" and the catchy "Strawberry Swing" prove that Ocean's voice is as great as his knack for writing thoughtful pop songs. And coming from a group like OF, it's impressive that Ocean is able to lay down an entire album without straying into darker territory....full text |
| Pitchfork |
| Frank Ocean is a 23-year-old New Orleans-born, Beverly Hills-based singer who's in the gleefully hedonistic hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. Frank Ocean is also known as Christopher "Lonny" Breaux, a songwriter who has helped pen tracks for Justin Bieber, John Legend, and Brandy over the last few years. He's the latest example of why the major label system is crumbling at the knees of Twitter and Tumblr, too. After getting signed to Island Def Jam about a year ago, the label proceeded to ignore him. Until February 16, that is. That's when Ocean decided to give away his debut album, Nostalgia, Ultra, for free on his Tumblr. Venting about his decision to drop the record his own way, he took to Twitter on March 1: "i. did. this. not ISLAND DEF JAM. that's why you see no label logo on the artwork that I DID. guess its my fault for trusting my dumbass lawyer and signing my career over to a failing company. fuck Def Jam & any company that goes the length of signing a kid with dreams & talent w/ no intention of following through. fuck em. now back to my day. i want some oatmeal and toast. brunch swag." The mini-rant sums up this singer's demeanor well-- openly passionate and heartfelt, but also attractively off-center and humble. Nostalgia, Ultra finds Ocean singing over a mix of original pop-leaning R&B beats courtesy of big-ticket producers like Tricky Stewart (Rihanna's "Umbrella", Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)") and Midi Mafia (50 Cent's "21 Questions", Justin Bieber's "Down to Earth") as well as some eclectic remakes of songs including Coldplay's underrated 2009 single "Strawberry Swing", MGMT's "Electric Feel", and, most surprisingly, the Eagles' "Hotel California". Ocean's experience within the major-label hit machine comes through-- his casually hook-y voice is akin to Usher or Jamie Foxx's, and at least three of the album's songs could (and should) slot in comfortably on a R&B or even Top 40 radio station near you any day now. There are distinct elements of Drake's melancholic paranoia and The-Dream's high melodrama, too. But there's also a heady surreality surrounding Nostalgia, Ultra that makes it unique. The cover-- showing a bright orange 1980s BMW (Ocean's "dream car") hidden in plain sight amidst lush greenery-- is perfectly indicative of what's inside....full text |
| Avclub |
| Much like the ’80s BMW on the cover of his debut album, Nostalgia, Ultra, gifted singer-songwriter Frank Ocean apparently is out of touch with the times. That doesn’t jibe with his résumé, a seemingly impeccable combination of mainstream R&B credentials (he’s co-written songs for John Legend and Justin Bieber) and underground cool (he’s associated with outlaw hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All). But after going nowhere as a solo artist signed to Island Def Jam, Ocean decided to post Nostalgia, Ultra as a free download last month. Hearing the record, it’s no shock that Ocean’s label didn’t know what to do with him. Nostalgia is a moody, frequently downbeat character study, a sort of musical version of the Reagan-era confessional Less Than Zero. Ocean presents himself as a troubled guy in his early 20s who does cocaine for breakfast (as he sings over an aestheticized shuffle supplied by superstar producer Tricky Stewart on “Novacane”) and can’t decide whether to rue or revel in his conflicted feelings about women (the hit-single-in-waiting “Songs For Women”). Sampling world-class sulkers like Coldplay and Radiohead, as well as Stanley Kubrick’s queasy dissection of marriage, Eyes Wide Shut, Ocean saves his boldest move for the 7-minute epic “American Wedding,” fantasizing about his nuptials as the ultimate hymn of coke-addled self-absorption, The Eagles’ “Hotel California,” plays out in its entirety. Like the rest of Nostalgia, it’s dark, playful, a little tasteless, and absolutely riveting....full text |
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