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In less than twelve months, Bruno Mars has gained critical acclaim worldwide, had a summer smash with ‘Just The Way You Are’ and sat at the top of the U.K. charts with three different singles. His debut album Doo-Wops and Hooligans seeks to further emulate the early success and solidify Mars’ position in the music industry.
Opening the album, both ‘Grenade’ and ‘Just The Way You Are’ showcase why Mars has risen so quickly in popularity. His soft pop-rock tracks talk of the trials and triumphs of relationships without being over-indulgent. ‘Grenade’, currently sitting at number one, is a prime example of the soulful vocal capabilities of the artist and the clever production of many tracks on the album. As if conscious of the idea as love as war, the lyrics are embellished in repeated piano chords to create tension that suddenly give way to the louder crashes of the drums: totally recreating simplicity in song.
One of the most notable aspects of Doo-Wops is that with the exception of these two singles, Bruno’s music lies more toward a soul and R’n’B spectrum; a cross between sounds that may be expected of Bob Marley or Jason Mraz and a preppier Cee-Lo Green. Exception to the pattern is found in personal favourite ‘Runaway Baby’; a jazz-swing number that combines 50s and modern music in an addictive upbeat twist.
Catering to the 18-30 year old niche, Mars not only plays on the issue of romance, but the struggles of life, the need for friends and questions of identity so relatable for a group that are having their first experiences in the wider world. If the carefree lyrics and summer-haze vibes of ‘The Lazy Song’, for example, are not a student anthem in the making, then I do not know what is. “Today I don’t feel like doing anything, I just want to lay in my bed.”
Features from the likes of B.O.B., Damian Marley and Cee-Lo Green are well placed and add diversity and freshness to the album. Indeed, the main point of critique is that the album’s structure does not appeal to the listener: by the closing tracks, there appears to be some growing monotony due to the same style and approach.
Whilst the individual tracks all have their merit, there does not appear to be any real experimentation of artistic flair: much of the album could be considered a safe bet. Moreover, with most standard editions of the album featuring a mere 10 tracks, it would appear that the record company rushed the release to capitalise on the sudden success Mars found over the summer period of 2010. ‘The Other Side’ is notable for how at odds it is with the rest of the album and highlights a direction that should be explored in future records from the 25 year old.
Doo-Wops and Hooligans, then, is no doubt a good listen, with many up-beat tracks and some great production. However, only expect a few songs to make an impression; others are almost indiscernible from one another, despite the soulful feel that will keep you listening.
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