March 03, 2008 @ 9:18 am

The-Dream, "Love Hate" (Music)

by: Sean Fennessey

On his debut, Love Hate, The-Dream’s own songs are weirder, and in many ways better, than the ones that positioned him as a Babyface for the shawty set.

Author of two of 2007’s biggest smashes, Rihanna’s loping “Umbrella” and J. Holiday’s tender “Bed,” Terius “The-Dream” Nash has established himself as a stylistically gifted, quirky songwriter. Both of those hits possess canny, odd bits — like the “ella ella ella” refrain of “Umbrella” — that The-Dream cleverly calls “the dumb parts.” But don’t be duped — there’s nothing foolish about any of it.

Once songs leave The-Dream’s writing room, though, they can only be stretched so far and made so strange. On his debut, Love Hate, The-Dream’s own songs are weirder, and in many ways better, than the ones that positioned him as a Babyface for the shawty set. Here, he takes the dumb parts that make his songs inescapable and places them at the forefront, turning what could have been a solid, if safe album into a mesmerizing carnival of blurps, squirts, and coos — Rihanna and J. Holiday sound positively quaint by comparison.

Instead, The-Dream channels two ’80s iconoclasts: Prince at his vampy peak, and Bobby Brown, who always led with an assured growl. “Fast Car” is pure Reagan-era: Jumpy keyboards, car-sex imagery, and Nash’s wondrous way with mid-song breakdowns. “Falsetto” is even better, as The-Dream simulates lovemaking, raising his voice incrementally to crystal-shattering heights — it’s a goofy trick, but irresistible. And Love Hate never breaks stride, balancing pace with power. The supple “Purple Kiss” is vivacious, while the up-tempo techno-tinged workout “Ditch That” is sweet
and sour at once — Nash is as versatile as he is unconventional.

The-Dream’s single “Shawty is a 10” might be the year’s most idiosyncratically traditional love song — it’s packed with exuberant “ay” chants, synths that swoop high over the singer’s voice, and that humble but immensely expressive falsetto. With R&B singers like T-Pain and Akon pushing the limits of tonal originality, The-Dream’s dynamic instrument makes a trifecta of vocal oddities. But even though there are plenty of signature tics and hums here, The-Dream may not have his own “Umbrella” — that would have been just too dumb. And Love Hate is smarter for it.

Article tags: Def Jam, Revolutions, The-Dream