Tank | Now or Never
Tank | Now or Never
By Brent Faulkner
Tank (Durrell Babbs) is one of R&B’s premiere talents, but is an incredibly underrated vocalist. Tank has garnered most of his attention given his songwriting contributions to other artists (Usher, Fantasia, etc.). That said, Tank garnered his most notable buzz as a solo artist with his 2007 effort, Sex, Love & Pain, which featured the critically acclaimed hit “Please Don’t Go,” easily Tank’s biggest hit to date. 2010’s follow-up effort Now or Never is solid, though does not have a “Please Don’t Go” to aid in its promotion (Sex, Love & Pain was nominated for multiple Grammys and bowed at #2 with 102,000). Now or Never does keep ‘a good thing going’ with Tank’s continuation of performing a more ‘refined’ breed of R&B with thoughtful, sensual songwriting. The biggest quibble about the Grammy-nominated singer’s new effort is the same as what might be said of his last - it has tendencies to be boring and sag at given moments. Sure, most performances are more than nuanced-enough to propel the effort forward, but additionally, there are moments that are less enthralling. For the most part, Now or Never proves solid.
After an interlude (“Showtime” (Interlude)) foreshadows the effort - albeit it arguably unnecessary, the excellent single “Sex Music” starts the album off right. The production work is superb (relevant production sans gimmickry), the songwriting well conceived, and Tank’s vocals solid. Specific highlights from this cut include the well-penned chorus in which Tank tastefully details ‘grown folks’ love. Follow-up cut “Celebration” features Canadian rap standout Drake in another solid presentation. Here, the production work assimilates to contemporary R&B with an adult-contemporary undertone about it. Vocally, Tank remains the consummate lover man and Drake delivers as much punch as any of his other collaborations.
Following another interlude (“Emergency (Interlude)”) - this one moody with acoustic piano and string pad - the valedictory “Emergency,” another single off of the effort, proves to be a fine contribution to Now or Never. The chorus is simple, yet catchy and captivating despite its simplicity. The songwriting as a whole is solid and Tank sings convincing as always. “Scream” continues the upswing of top-notch material, with Tank sounding incredibly polished with his sensual “oh’s” - his screams I suppose. Tank ‘brings it home’ with well crafted ad libs at the end.
Six track deep, Now or Never sags slightly following “Emergency.” “Keep It 100” feels inferior compared to better cuts like “Sex Music” or “Emergency.” The Chris Brown feature “Foreplay” is a better rounded cut, but feels a bit like a ‘wasted opportunity.’ Sure, the chemistry between the two vocalists works, but the material hinders a truly ‘great’ collaboration. Tank inserts another interlude (“Can I (Intro)”) before presenting one of Now or Never’s best cuts, “Can I”, where Tank sings: “Can I make love, love, love to you/ Can I make love, love, show you how I do...” Again, one who knows how to end a song, Tank’s ad libs at the end are solid.
“Amazing” is ok, but feels more like ‘background music’ than a distinct cut in its own entity. “You Mean That Much” and a cover of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” atone for the bore of “Amazing.” “You Mean That Much” is a build up of instrumentation and emotion, which all unfurls by the closing chorus where Tank’s commanding lead vocals are supported by background vocals. “I Can’t Make You Love Me” makes a classic sound fresh again under Tank’s ‘wings.’
Essentially Now or Never is a solid, enjoyable R&B album. Smartly, Tank sticks to a more traditional format as opposed to trying to assimilate to trends. By being more of a traditionalist, Tank may not garner the commercial results of his contemporaries, but the music has more of a ‘lasting effect.’ If there was one criticism, it may be to eliminate some ‘sameness’ with some of the material or even tighten up the more ‘predictable’ material. Quibbles aside, Tank delivers another capable effort for lovers everywhere - well I suppose women ‘swooning’ over Tank especially!
Brent Faulkner
The Urban Music Scene
Posted by Administration at 12/23/2010 11:11 PM 
Categories: Rhythm and Blues, Video
Tags: Rhythm And Blues Music Videos
Categories: Rhythm and Blues, Video
Tags: Rhythm And Blues Music Videos
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