Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak, Beyonce - I Am...Sasha Fierce, T-Pain - Thr33 Ringz.

Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak

The pressure on Kanye West to produce something extraordinary grows with every album, and the responsibility he bears to deliver something of higher value than other artists is realised with this album - now he truly is in a class by himself.

He may not have been the first to rap about conflict diamonds as he did in "Diamonds Are Forever", and "Stronger" may have been less startling to European fans already well aware of the Daft Punk record which inspired it, but no rapper - or pop star in general - is as extensively critiqued on his level.

Never one to shy away from controversial topics, West has now taken on an altogether more challenging concept - transforming the sonic medium on which he delivers these sermons. Gone are the sped-up soul samples of "Through The Wire" and "Overnight Celebrity" and in their place are Kanye singing every track with the aid of Auto-Tune and the vintage Roland TR-808 drum machine.

Purposely exaggerating both his vocals and the percussion of the tracks perfectly distorts West so that he sounds truly heartbroken, or even something not quite human - which most of us mere mortals guessed ages ago.

Weirdly introverted for one so outlandish and outspoken, this album finds West delivering his futuristic vision in a typically sensitive mood - "My friend showed me pictures of his kids, And all I could show him were pictures of my cribs" he relays on "Welcome To Heartbreak". West is entitled to be reflective - the past year has been one of upheaval following his aborted engagement to fashion designer Alexis Phifer as well as the death of beloved mother Donda West from complications following cosmetic surgery.

West has claimed his insistence on using vocal treatment was a direct response to those who routinely criticise the approach - and how society can rob someone of their confidence to follow their impulse. Anyone who hears this album, including stand-out tracks "Love Lockdown", "Heartless", and the brilliantly bizarre "Robocop" will immediately be won over.

Crucially, West is never despondent, sounding determined and fully confident in his new approach - and it should take his career even further into the space age. He's already there; it's time for the rest of us - and those handing out "Album of the Year" Grammy Awards - to catch up.

Check out Kayne West’s tour dates on his official website.

Beyonce - I Am...Sasha Fierce

Beyonce Knowles celebrates 10 years as a major-label recording artist with this double album, "I Am...Sasha Fierce", her third since going solo.

 It's difficult to view this as anything but a major regression however, and any signs of growth or development which were evident in her previous releases have all but ebbed away.

Destiny's Child used to revel in empowering girls with anthems like "Bills Bills Bills" and "Bug A Boo", but now "Single Ladies" should be bugging their man for a wedding ring apparently.

Equally depressing is how predictably the terrible "If I Were A Boy" shot straight to the top of the UK charts.

Often a consequence of growing up, getting married, and maintaining a long-term relationship can provide an artist with a new outlook and a more mature output - see Usher's "Here I Stand" album. Sadly for Beyonce, she simply sounds bored. It's interesting to note that this is her first solo album which lacks a Jay-Z guest appearance. Perhaps she's bored of him already too?

There are no guest stars at all in fact and while a natural talent of Beyonce's magnitude should generally shy away from such shortcuts, she could have done with them here.

The number of tracks could easily fit onto one album and that highlights how aggressively Beyonce accepts cynical marketing techniques. You can imagine the meeting now - "Let's chop it in two. One of sappy ballads for middle-of-the-road pop radio, and another of up-tempo numbers for urban outlets."

But no amount of boardroom chicanery can disguise the truth - the voice is obviously there, but the songs are dull. "Sweet Dreams" is decent but beyond that, little is worth a replay. The production team is of course expensively assembled - Stargate, Jim Jonsin and Darkchild, et al, but even they seem to be going through the motions. "Halo" was initially turned down by Leona Lewis, and songs like "Radio", "Diva", and "Video Phone" all sound rushed or uninspired.

The problem faced by Beyonce every time she has to promote a new album is that she has to reverse her diva-esque habit of demanding privacy and delivering mind-numbingly dour interviews. Unleashing a batch of new songs on an unsuspecting public and assuming your general aura and previous work will be enough to secure success is risky business - and fans will have to be truly dedicated to put up with this lacklustre offering.

And when an act like Beyonce doesn't have material to match her range, all you get is an hour of vocal aerobics, which is really a test of endurance for the listener.

Keep up to date with the latest Beyonce news at her official website.

T-Pain - Thr33 Ringz

Best known in this country for his chorus-singing duties on hits by Chris Brown ("Kiss Kiss"), Kanye West ("The Good Life") and Flo-Rida ("Low"), T-Pain is far more than initially meets the eye.

Along with label mate Akon, Pain is perhaps more responsible than any other person for the sound of modern R&B music, and arguably pop music as a whole.

Criticised at nearly every stage of his short but prolific career - and often rightly so - it cannot be disputed that the man born Faheem Najm has an immense impact on the urban music industry.

Following the pioneering work of genre greats like Roger Troutman, Teddy Riley and DeVante Swing, T-Pain has revolutionised the use of the talkbox/vocoder/autotune to create an instantly recognisable 'sexy robot voice' which has made him the go-to guy for a star wanting a hit song - as Britney Spears, R. Kelly, Usher and dozens of others can attest.

As such, appointing himself R&B music's 'circus ringleader' as he does with 'Thr33 Ringz' couldn't be more appropriate. Obviously having taken digs at his 'traditional' soul music credentials to heart, Teddy Pain enlists the help of nu-soul crooners Raheem DeVaughn and Musiq Soulchild for the amusing "Reality Show". Other highlights are the catchy "Blowing Up" with Ciara, and his reunion with a revitalised West on "Therapy".

Whereas a vast majority of modern pop albums struggle for ideas, T-Pain struggles to keep a lid on them. Sure, there are some mis-steps - the sappy "Change" and "Keep Going" seem insincere from the generally flesh-obsessed 'rapper turned singer' and "Digital" is pure end-of-album filler. Regardless, even the bad songs are listenable - and the good ones are excellent. Lead single "Can't Believe It" has an understated charm (despite the presence of an inebriated Lil' Wayne) and "Chopped N Skrewed" is genius.

While 'Thr33 Ringz' may not be an album of the year candidate, T-Pain has successfully managed to deliver a follow-up with enough tricks to keep his career on track. 2007 saw his star rise to unimagined heights - thanks largely to the ubiquitous club hit "Buy U A Drank" - and a high-point of such magnitude can often be hard to follow, never mind surpass. This set leaves no doubt however that fans and stars alike should continue to turn-up to T-Pain's big show and jump through hoops to marvel at his musical magic tricks.

 
For the latest T-Pain news and releases check out his official website.