Departure; Jesse McCartney

Jesse McCartney’s third studio album Departure hit the air world o April 2008. The very oddly named record changed the entire definition of Jesse in the music industry. He took a complete break from his previous “Golden Boy” route that was very prominent in his previous two studio album Right Where You Want Me(2006) and Beautiful Soul(2004).

The new sound was highly appreciated as it incorporated a more adult feel which was remarkably absent from his previous effort. While he stuck to his pop and R&B roots, Jesse made a point of sounding more modern with heavy usage of progressive beat and voice synthesizer. The songwriting has to be credited as one of the main thing Jesse made sure was that his style of writing evolved along with him on the route of boy to man, he collaborated with several big names in the industry like Sean Garett(Also featured on the album), Brian Kennedy, Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart and Claude Kelly.

The title of the album of the album set me back completely as I thought Jesse was retiring from the music industry given the amount of time he had taken to put this album out and the number of times it’s release date was rescheduled. But thankfully it wasn’t true; Jesse McCartney himself stated that the name is one that defines his parting from his previous style.

The first track of the album Leavin’ is also the first single of the album. Upon the first time I heard it, the immediate liking was inevitable as of the fact that it’s up-temp but at the same time has a mellow feel to it. The cell phone beeps add a modern touch. And I have to add that it immediately announced a very bold approach on Jesse’s part. The video raised several marks because of it’s somewhat steamy scenes as Disney failed to air it unlike his previous videos. But that didn’t put a dent in the single’s progress as it became a fan favorite with frequent request on TRL and many other movie channels all over the world.

It’s Over is the second single off the album and also the second single. This track is my second most favorite from the album. Jesse makes magic on this track by infusing his R&B feel with hip-pop, creating something that was immediately noticed as brand new. The song towards chorus gets really beautiful when he goes into his falsetto for a moment. The repetitive clapping encourages feet tapping.

The third track is Rock You is a hip hop infused with rapper style. Jesse teams up with the very hot current songwriter Sean Garrett who opens up the track giving us the very large feel. It’s very reminding of Blow Your Mind from his sophomore effort but more evolved this time. While not the best track from the record, the fast progression of words with the beat-boxing gets the listener going. It is slightly reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s style of hip hop.

The fourth track How Do You Sleep is my personal favorite and delightfully the third single off the album. The track starts with melodic moaning and then gets into this R&B fused with rock and hip hop. Jesse’s creativity has to be applauded in this. It’s been on my play list since a very long time and I don’t see it getting removed anytime soon. It’s the must-listen from this album!

The fifth track comes as a real shock to those aware of Jesse previous album. Jesse had everything but the ‘bad boy’ image going for him but in this song, that indication is all over the place. It’s a bold move which has received mixed response. While some have appreciated that he should be singing boy band type song but they’ve also told him to tread carefully with explicit lyrics. It’s not anywhere near my favorite tracks from the album.

The sixth track, Make Up, is a pure crowd pleaser. Once again Jesse has fused R&B with hip pop and made a really good number. The track starts fast with rhythmic clapping and goes slow down in the middle and then goes fast again. The progressing from up tempo to low tempo is just the right amount giving the listener enough time to register a contrast. The play of music is simple and effective. Well done!

The seventh track is the very mischievous number My Baby. Jesse goes on about singing about his quest of a girl he’s spotted randomly and can’t help going after her. The word play is a definite favorite of mine. It’s highly reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T(Pretty Young Thing) to me for some weird reason. By now people have gotten the over all feel of his album, it’s comparatively more on the R&B side.

The eighth track Told You So is based upon a personal experience. Jesse while has disclosed this little bit of info didn’t disclose who is it about. The track switches back to his pop side and reminds me very much of his previous album’s track. Jesse’s vocals really shine in this number and to those who have liked his previous works more than this one are highly hopeful of this being an upcoming single.

Relapse is the ninth track and another up tempo number from Jesse. The track is one of my favorite. Songs putting love and break-up with an analogy with rehabilitation are very popular nowadays. The track goes fast in the chorus and can be rated as a pretty decent dance number.

The tenth track Runnin’ track is once again a very pop number from the record. Jesse tells us about the every day story of guys being scared of commitment. After a recent breakup of a friend of mine, I gave her this track as a consoling gesture. She didn’t bother listening it at first but eventually when her anger and frustration subsided she did give it a listen and later on burrowed the album from me. Can I say Jesse McCartney has another loyal fan with an awesome pair of lungs?! Yes, I can.

The eleventh track Freaky is featured on the High School Musical 3; Senior Year. It’s the second song which can be truthfully regarded as a dance number; Jesse does have a certain knack for getting people’s groove going.

The twelfth and last track off the album is Not Your Enemy. This track gives the album the most perfect closure ever, it’s has a slight Evanescence feel to it because of the slight haunting feeling in the song. It’s a really beautiful song, this track also is still in my play list. Jesse’s vocals are impeccable, it’s smooth and mellow. Really heart wrenching! I maybe over-stating this but indeed it has to be the perfect ending to the album.

People who have purchased the deluxe edition also have a cover version of the song Jesse co-penned with Ryan Tedder for Leona Lewis. I think we all can guess what song I’m talking about, that’s right! Bleeding Love! Jesse’s cover version is more pop like his previous ballad number, it’s a good effort but this song has become a signature Leona Lewis number. He did it good, but Leona did it great!

Jesse has to be applauded for his effort, he is indeed someone who’s pretty much on the way of hitting gold in near future whether be it his song writing abilities or his singing. Departure was re-released earlier this year under the title of Departure; Recharged. It featured five new tracks but that’s to come some other day. Be on the look out for it!

Copyright © Saad Khan 2009 (Karachi, Pakistan; saadkhalidkhan@gmail.com)