Theophilus London
Timez Are Weird These Days (Reprise)
Reviewed by Chase Hoffberger, Fri., Sept. 16, 2011
Theophilus London
Timez Are Weird These Days (Reprise)In the closing hook to "All Around the World," Brooklyn's Theophilus London sings, "We're back to making music like it's 1964." That's a head-scratcher in the context of London's major label debut, Timez Are Weird These Days, which has an aesthetic so firmly wired in modern electro-pop that 1964 seems the furthest thing from London's mind. So does artistic depth, though London attests, "You're now listening to the world-renowned international/International player." At its best, Timez shuffles out danceable TV on the Radio ("Wine and Chocolates," produced by TVOTR's Dave Sitek), which London coats with his Kid Cudi-thick croon, but such pop tracks are few and far between. Instead, what stands out are shallow hooks ("I Stand Alone"), disjointed memoirs ("Love Is Real"), and the painful lyrical repetition of "Girls Girls $" littering a nightclub-ready canvas. "Stop It." (12:30pm, Bud Light stage)
