The E.N.D (or the Energy Never Dies), the latest album of The Black Eyed Peas was supposedly a homage to their partying days in Australia – Conceptualised with artists like The Presets in mind. Before venturing any further I must mention this is nothing like a Presets album – Stylistically or critically.
First single Boom Boom Pow is mindless and tuneless (so ofcourse it’s been no.1 in most countries for consecutive weeks.) Salvation comes with the enormous electro beat thrown in half way through, the tune finally emerging. I Gotta Feeling, sung to David Guetta’s Love Is Gone, is better with its contagious party theme but again suffers from monotony.
The rest of the album is fun but flawed. Album stand-out Meet Me Halfway recalls the sound of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, Fergie’s vocals shine throughout. Alive is another highlight, its simplicity working for rather than against itself, accompanied by a fun piano melody. Party All The Time is obnoxious and sounds like party music as sung by Hi-5’s lyricists. Out of My Mind contains spurious funk and Ring A Ling is just plain awful – Daft Punk for 8 year olds.
The most disappointing aspect of The E.N.D. lies in the lyrics, the best example being I Gotta Feeling, “Go out and smash it, like oh my god.” Truly awful. Understandably it is a party themed album but this in on way excuses an inability to tell a decent story or articulate human emotions.
Key Tracks: Meet Me Halfway, Alive
