Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox

THE gloomy sounds of church-like organs in Young Girls ring in the beginning of Bruno Mars’ second album, Unorthodox Jukebox.

The album’s title is fitting because not in recent memory has a major label pop artiste mastered seamless urban contemporary twists on classical genres as Mars has throughout his career.

After Mars’ opener about his unhealthy addiction for Young Girls that swindle, the album moves into its new-wave rock-reggae tinged lead single, Locked Out of Heaven.

Gorilla is a slight misstep for the album, as the aggressive nature of Mars’ lyrics here doesn’t match the dullness of the song’s title, or his persona.

Things get back on track with Treasure, a 1970s R&B disco-flavoured song reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall era, especially Rock With You. Moonshine fits the same timeframe and upbeat view of love as Treasure, but is heavily influenced by the darker pop numbers by Hall & Oates’ production-wise.

When I Was Your Man may very well be the next single for the project, as it is a teary eyed ballad from a retrospective Mars wishing he had been a better partner in a past relationship.

Natalie is a choir-like clap-driven production about similar subject matter to Young Girls, but more specific to a single character.

Always a creator of good reggae tracks, Mars creatively flips musical youth cult classic Pass The Dutchie, into a sizzling mid-tempo narration about admiration, in Show Me.

Money Make Her Smile taps into the current popular theme of urban songs: which is to highlight outlandish dancers of desire.

Unorthodox Jukebox closes with another ballad, If I Knew, a song of a similar vein to When I Was Your Man.

TEENage Hitlist believes that Bruno Mars has managed to bypass the dreaded sophomore jinx, with a solid follow-up to Unorthodox Jukebox’s predecessor, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Kudos to the producers of album, who include the Smeezington’s, Diplo, Mark Ronson, Benny Blanco, and Jamaican Supa Dups, who provided diverse instrumental landscapes for Mars to perform good transitional hybrid music.