Voicenotes

by Charlie Puth

Overview

Charlie Puth went from YouTube likes to RIAA certifications with such swiftness that he caught a serious case of stardom bends. He had most of the symptoms, including a hastened, compromised debut album, resultant awkward performances, and a bad reaction to the public eye. While Voicenotes can be loosely classified as a fame-response album -- a category distinguished by works that are woeful in character and quality -- it counteracts Puth's artistic frustrations and in every aspect surpasses Nine Track Mind. Rarely is it overblown and stagey, with Puth generally sounding more at ease, and absolutely invested in the songs. The negative impact celebrity has had on him is addressed directly only in the breezy opener "The Way I Am," where he concedes that he's "just tryin' to find a place to hide," and the twentysomething alludes to it in petulant form only in the closing ("I've been") "Through It All." The set's crux is a series of failed relationships that leap from one disparate experience to another. Puth admits to faults in a couple songs, pinning part of the blame on alcohol and youth, elsewhere feeling belittled by an older woman -- who underestimates his maturity and uses him -- only to immediately afterward bemoan a younger partner's attachment. Stylistically, much of the set is in a continuum of R&B-inspired pop that is earnest and groove-oriented in nature, rooted in early-'80s acts like Hall & Oates and exemplified decades later by Daft Punk's "Something About Us." "Slow It Down" goes as far as to sample the former and resembles a collaboration with the latter as much as the Weeknd's "I Feel It Coming." The best of the material shaped this way is "Done for Me," a sublime breakup prelude on which Puth duets with Kehlani, his most astute choice for collaborator. The second is "Attention," which appeared a year before Voicenotes was released, but is perfectly representative for its borderline bratty vocal and a sparkling production with a loping bassline that gives as much as the hooks. Success may have almost spoiled Puth, but it fueled his upward creative swing. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	09/28/2018
Label:	Artist Partner / Atlantic
UPC:	0075678656309

Tracks

1. The Way I Am
2. Attention
3. LA Girls
4. How Long
5. Done For
6. Patient
7. If You Leave Me
8. Boy
9. Slow It Down
10. Change
11. Somebody Told Me
12. Empty Cups
13. Through It All

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Charlie Puth   Primary Artist,Bass,Vocals
Boyz II Men   Featured Artist
James Taylor   Featured Artist
Jan Ozveren   Guitar
Dimitry Gorodetsky   Bass
Carl Falk   Bass
Kehlani   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Sara Allen   Composer
Manny Marroquin   Mixing
Ross Golan   Composer
John Oates   Composer
Daryl Hall   Composer
Savan Kotecha   Composer
Chris Galland   Assistant,Mixing Engineer
Jacob Kasher   Composer
Carl Falk   Composer
Jason Evigan   Composer,Additional Production
David Kutch   Mastering
Johan Carlsson   Composer,Producer,Instrumentation
Rami Yacoub   Composer
Rickard Goeransson   Composer,Producer
Justin Franks   Composer
Breyan Isaac   Composer
John Ryan   Composer
Kehlani   Composer
Charlie Puth   Composer,Engineer,Musician,Producer,Recording,Instrumentation
Jeff Jackson   Assistant,Mixing Engineer
Ryan Gladieux   Recording,Vocal Engineer
James Alan Ghaleb   Composer
Sean Douglas   Composer
Fraser Churchill   Composer
Ben Johnson   Composer