Charlie Puth’s fourth studio album “Whatever’s Clever!”, released on March 27, is filled with upbeat and fun pop tracks fit for the upcoming spring and summer season. The album is a mixture of catchy tunes and sentimental ballads, with the catchy tunes outweighing the ballads.
In the album, Charlie conveys confidence and self-expression, while also navigating vulnerability and the responsibility of becoming a father. It also contains features of different artists who each specialize in varying genres. However, compared to his past albums, this one definitely does not contain any chart-topping and record-breaking hits. The songs are nice to listen to, but none of them stand out.
There is no doubt that Charlie Puth is a great singer, songwriter and vocalist. Unfortunately, not many of the songs on the album particularly qualify as “hits,” unlike his debut album, “Nine Track Mind”, which contains hits such as “One Call Away” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore.” However, this does not imply that any of the tracks on the record are inherently bad.
The album includes five features on the track. Each one is different, but equally pleasing to listen to. One song on the album that really stands out was “Home.” The song features Japanese artist, Hikaru Utada. A person does not have to know much about Puth or Utuda to know that their voices blend very well together. The song is a lovely dedication to the singer’s wife, Brooke Puth, who was at the time expecting their first child together. Hikaru Utada’s collaboration definitely adds depth to the song to help make it as sweet as it is.
One of the catchiest and most entertaining songs to listen to on the album was “New Jersey” with fellow pop artist, Ravyn Lenae. Lenae already brings a unique style to pop with her music, so her addition makes the tune even better.
The standout feature on the album is the talented Coco Jones on the track “Sideways.” Coco and Puth’s voices together melt like butter. Not only is the song well-written, it gives Puth’s primarily pop album an R&B feel that works really well.
There are definitely some features on the album that do not mesh well. The 10th track, “Love in Exile” features Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. Although the song is not bad, unfortunately, the three artists’ voices do not blend well together. Loggins and McDonald have very seasoned voices that may sound nice, but do not match Puth’s fairly youthful tone.
Another unnecessary feature on the album is “Wicked” actor Jeff Goldblum on the song, “Until It Happens To You.” This was a very pointless decision, especially since Goldblum does not even sing on the track, but instead gives a short monologue at the beginning and bridge of the song. The song also features The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, who are, on the contrary, a nice addition to the song.
Throughout the album, there are themes of family, self-acceptance and vulnerability being portrayed. “Whatever’s Clever!” might not be a Billboard 200 qualifier, but the New Jersey home-towner definitely explores very relatable and necessary aspects in this album.
Listening to most of the songs, listeners can really get a feel of what it is like trying to fit in, express emotions and navigate new circumstances. This makes the album, as a whole, very inspiring. When it comes to the music, the songs were catchy, but nothing unique compared to customary pop songs.
With this album, Puth fully brings his artistic genius to the table. Through the colors and visuals in his music videos for “Changes” and “Home,” viewers can really see him in his artistic element.
The album is very pop-focused, but done in a way where listeners can really take a step inside his mind. It is unfortunate that the album lacks some creativity and nuance that would really make the songs stand out. It is easy to say that people can learn a lot about Puth just from listening to this album because he expresses his emotions in a beautiful and clear way.
