Review: Hoodie Allen - People Keep Talking
By Travis Boswell, Staff Writer
[Self-released; 2014]
Rating: 6/10
Key Tracks: “People Keep Talking,” “Sirens”
If there is one unifying theme to Hoodie Allen's debut album, it's that he only values his own opinion. Record companies trying to change his image are ridiculed in skits. Messages from neglected girlfriends are promptly deleted. Everyone talking to Hoodie Allen or talking about him is getting in the way of his work.
It's easy to understand why he'd feel this way. Although People Keep Talking is his first album release, Hoodie Allen has sold thousands of copies of his EP All American on iTunes and toured worldwide. He's already become a bigger success than many independent artists.
As a debut, People Keep Talking shows off the many talents of Hoodie Allen. At the core of most songs is his speedy flow, best shown on the title track. He also chooses to sing his own verses and choruses rather than bringing in a singer to do it for him. This makes sense in the context of his do-it-yourself attitude, but the singing feels forced in most cases.
“Dumb For You” and “Get It On The Low” are simply average until Allen stops singing and starts rapping. “Won't Mind” comes closer to balancing singing and rapping evenly and is only brought down by the awkward dance break in the end.
Allen's style includes many pop culture references in his lyrics, but few are truly clever. “Asking me for money / I'ma blow it like I'm Hootie / Buffalo, where you find me throwing bills like I'm Flutie” in “Sirens” is the type of referential lyric that appears repeatedly. The references usually aren't witty, making many of the lines fall flat. If these lines had actual punch lines instead of famous names they would be much more memorable. The first half of the album stands on the strength of Allen's technical skill and the production, not the lyrical content.
The second half of the album is much weaker. “Act My Age” is preceded by a skit that ridicules record labels for formulaic production, before launching into a grating beat and the album's most transparent appeal to the mainstream. It ends up being a less memorable imitation of “I Love College” with a strangely bitter undercurrent.
“Show Me What You're Made Of” is the best song from the second half of the album, but only because of the production. Allen's lyrics feel aimless; the song is a good example of him preferring pop culture references over punch lines or sharp wordplay.
Throughout People Keep Talking, Hoodie Allen dismisses everyone who doesn't like him but still remains a likable personality. The production is above average compared to many independent rappers. The thing that keeps People Keep Talking from being great is disconnect between Hoodie Allen's personality and his lyrics.
A few skits and songs on this album show a sense of humor that rarely surfaces and many of his lines depend on the listener knowing exactly what he's referring to. Hoodie Allen is technically a skilled rapper and his talents carry most of the album. However, this album lacks the type of lyricism that will keep him in the spotlight for the long term.
