Album Review: Saturn – Plastic/Box

Plastic/Box is the latest album from artist Saturn who has straddled multiple genres in his career including pop, dance, rock and hip-hop. Sadly the album does not match the hype of the artist and continually rolls out a number of dull forgettable tracks that would lead even the most hardened critic to reach out to find the off switch.

The beat behind each track is good, able to evoke a kind of retro 80s feel which manages to fit in very well with current musical trends. The problem, however, begins with the vocals, which never seem to blend well with the music to make it feel like a polished composition. Saturn himself also relies too heavily on vibrato, which gives his voice a shaky and fragile character. This itself would not be so bad if it had not been so brutally overused as it has been with Plastic/Box which will leave the listener feeling like he has been listening to a baritone machine gun attack with every lingering note.

Plastic/Box itself is lyrically sound, which does give the album something of a saving grace. The words themselves are well written and could almost be described as poetic, though they themselves could also be seen as being rather derivative. Sadly the misuse of the vocals has a polluting effect on the album as a whole which will likely cause most people to switch off and leaves the messages behind each song unheard and unappreciated.

The problem with Saturn is that he plays it far too safe in a genre that prizes itself with artists that continually push the envelope. There is talent there, very far beneath the surface, but it is not made evident when he simply regurgitates material that has been done before, and a lot better, by other singers. This is an especially fatal flaw when you consider that Saturn himself is trying to blend together elements of various genres into something new and entertaining.

Plastic/Box is as manufactured and as easily discarded as its name alludes to, and does little to showcase Saturn’s talents. This album will undoubtedly be loved by his fans, but its unlikely to be a favourite for those uninitiated.

http://youtu.be/1A8C1C0criM