Genre: Pop, Reggae-Pop
Label Number: VME002CD
© 2013 Very Me Records
AllMusic Review by James Christopher Monger
© 2013 Very Me Records
AllMusic Review by James Christopher Monger
The first studio album from George Alan O'Dowd in nearly two decades, This Is What I Do begins appropriately enough with "King of Everything," a surging, late-period Elton John-inspired
power ballad/anthem that finds the newly refurbished (chemically and
spiritually) pop icon trying to make amends with pretty much everybody. Boy George has spent the majority of his time away from the studio in the headlines, and This Is What I Do
spends the majority of its just under an hour running time explaining
why, apologizing, and wondering "What's the word on the street/Have I
lost my crown/Or will I be king again." George's
voice, once a throaty, alternately cocky and pleading croon that could
melt the paint off of the walls, now smolders at a much lower level, and
that huskiness lends a mournful and bluesy patina to the 12-track
collection that dutifully reflects the artist's newfound maturity. George
may have lost a little of his edge, but he's still a commanding
presence, even if his reputation precedes him in a way that does him no
favors. Songs like the breezy country-soul confection "It's Easy" and
the richly detailed, autobiographical "Live Your Life" suggest an artist
whose rebirth may blossom via the death-cheating, soulful
singer/songwriter route, while more propulsive numbers like "Bigger Than
War," which is almost a dead ringer for the Sopranos theme (Alabama 3's "Woke Up This Morning"), show that the former Karma Chameleon hasn't lost his ability to shape-shift. That said, much of This Is What I Do
is so mired in rote recovery-speak and murky midtempo reggae (the last
six tracks are nearly interchangeable) that it never manages to leave
any emotional footprints in the listener's head. Sure it's mature,
soulful, and often beautiful, but it's also mostly forgettable.
tags: boy george, this is what i do, 2013, flac,
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