ATP! Presents: Nothing Cool Rhymes With Mindy (April 2013)

Can I just say how long I've awaited this comeback? I've been a JT fan ever since I first heard 'NSYNC. You know how things happen in your life where you remember exactly where you were and how you felt when you experienced it? That's how it was when I heard "I Want You Back" by 'NSYNC. I was waiting for my school bus and had TRL on, and I remember standing there, backpack on and Toaster Strudel in hand, with my jaw dropped the second I heard/saw JT on the screen. Ever since then, been #1 fan. haha!

Lil' bit of a backstory....


Anyway, the album! I'm sure people expect me to review it like, 1. Song is perfect. 2. Song is awesome. 3. JT is amazing. 4. I love JT. etc, hahah but I really tried! HERE WE GO. I was scared honestly, but I love the album. I did notice on this album almost every song is 8 minutes long or so, which you would think would get old, but I found myself loving the changes in every song. Reminds me of what he did to "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows (Interlude)."

The opening of the album is so romantic, whimsical, and makes me picture everything black & white like his "Suit & Tie" video, real Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin style. The whole album really takes you back to another era. First song, "Pusher Love" has such a cool groove to it. He goes full falsetto on the choruses, and being a singer I usually don't love falsetto choruses. But unlike most singers, JT's falsetto is unique and strong. I'm not the biggest fan of the lyrics, but love the melodies. The backup singers are so solid and the band is phenomenal. "Suit & Tie" is the next track and was his first single. I'll be honest, when I first heard the intro to this song I almost hated it... but once actual the song kicked in, I was relieved. After so many listens now I find myself liking the intro. I love these lyrics and the whole vibe of the song makes just you want to dance. The lyrics make you want to literally get dressed up fancy and go dance at 50's inspired club. Jay-Z guest vocals on the bridge. I'm not the biggest Jay-Z fan just because he doesn't really "wow" me, but he delivers alright, and well, he's Jay-Z so he could rap about My Little Pony and Pocket Protectors and people would praise him.


"Don't Hold The Wall" is the third track and brings you outside of the classic-sounding bubble and into a nightclub. The beginning of the song is so 'NSYNC I can't even handle it! (R.I.P.) Pre-chorus melody and vocals first hooked me into the song. The beat is cool and I like the dark vibe. The samples and music really show off in this song, even though I'm not the biggest fan of some of the sample lyrics, it just feels like a cool, mellow dance club song. "Strawberry Bubblegum" is track five and one of my favorites with it's mellow (no pun intended) and soulful vibe. It's got real moody synths and JT primarily uses his pretty falsetto. The "Hey's" on the chorus are addicting. He's even got a hint of Bee Gee's to his vocals in this! I love the way the song goes into this soul jam session at the end. “Tunnel Vision” is by far my favorite track and the one that really takes front and center on 20/20 to me. It's immediately intoxicating, fun, and memorable to the listener. Dance-y strings and perfect melody. This was the first track I found myself replaying....4 times. "Spaceship Coupe" is one of the tracks on the album I'm not exactly head over heels for. Music is real funky and fun, I like the synth. I LOVE Aliens but the lyrics are too cheesy to look past to me and the song is a bit long without changing enough. The chick screaming at the end really was the point I hit "skip track." The music in "That Girl" is so sick with the horns and the funky repetitive guitar riff. The melody keeps up too, really bouncy and backup singers shine in this one. Once I found out the song was written about the movie, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" I liked it even more. I miss Amy Winehouse everyday, and immediately I thought how incredible she would have sounded on this track! Ahh :(

"Let The Groove Get In" is probably my least favorite, though I don't dislike it. Though I love the dance-y horns and it's just too shout-y and repetitive for me. The end of the song is actually the best part, when it changes into a more flowy vibe with JT's swirly vocals. "Mirrors" is track nine and God, this song is awesome. I think it's done perfectly, though this beat is totally sounds recycled from "Cry Me A River"! The lyrics and the melody really shine the most in this one. It's like there's an infinity-part harmony on the choruses. The song change is just as great. I found myself replaying specifically this part over and over just to hear the rasp in JT's swooping "Oh's" he sings here. It's seriously intoxicating and leaves you wanting more. The video for this song was so spot on too. Well done, JT. "Blue Ocean Floor" is the very last track, and a great closer. First listen, I didn't really know how I felt about it, though it's gorgeous, I just haven't heard him do anything like this. I was feeling that it was maybe too far out of his box to try. But once I stepped back, I realized that the whole album has new directions and this is just a different, arsty song for him and it's really captivating. I can literally see the beach when I listen to it. haha.


On the entire album, JT’s vocal performance remains perfect as ever, showcasing that he can go from soulful, to swoony, to dancey, and straight-up sexy in a matter of seconds. Throughout the entire record, neither the music or his vocal take a backseat to the other. The band is SO incredible, and his vocals are as perfect as I first heard them, and even a little more raspy (which I adore) than his earlier recordings. So yes, still definitely #1 fan. Waiting for Part 2 of 20/20!