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Nov 20, 2018It may not be as beautifully consistent as Malibu, but during those glorious pinnacles when Oxnard is firing on all cylinders, it’s undeniably some of the best music of 2018.
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Dec 7, 2018Later lyrical transgression aside, the LP is a pleasurable thrill ride.
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Nov 26, 2018Although not his greatest work to date, Oxnard confirms Anderson Paak at the upper echelons of the hip-hop scene.
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Nov 26, 2018It’s less cohesive than the high watermark he set with Malibu, but hitching a ride back to Oxnard is a freewheeling and occasionally exhilarating quest into Paak’s sonic curiosity.
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Nov 19, 2018It may not be quite the full-marks classic he’d hoped, but Oxnard is an intriguing next step for the 2016 XXL Freshman that demands repeat listening and hints that he may have a Blueprint in him yet.
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Nov 18, 2018Wealth is a recurrent theme, but musicality remains to the fore.
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Nov 16, 2018Post-mainstream breakthrough, Oxnard is a deft dissection of the fallout, just as free-ranging and hopeful as you’d imagine.
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Dec 14, 2018Ultimately, the bigged up production doesn’t suit .Paak’s soulful tendencies, which are further lost in his switch to rap. There are a few highlights, sure, but not nearly enough for an artist who I would’ve placed bets would be the next Big Thing.
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Nov 20, 2018A slight lack of focus, and an ending that’s more of a whimper than a bang, detract from an otherwise impressive major label debut.
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UncutJan 2, 2019Uneven but mostly engaging third solo album. [Feb 2019, p.30]
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Nov 26, 2018Perhaps its biggest fault is being a good album that's just not as strong as the other two in .Paak's "Golden State" series.
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Nov 19, 2018A still-formidable effort, but perhaps not the homecoming .Paak would have produced if he'd decided to go his own way.
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Nov 16, 2018With its often effortless synthesis of funk and rap, Oxnard is a wide-angle portrait of Los Angeles’ hedonistic landscape--it’s just a little out of focus.
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Nov 27, 2018Bedroom jams, cameos and gimmicks pad the album’s second half. Paak resorts to a corny-sounding Jamaican patois on “Left to Right,” a cheesy saxophone disrupts “Cheers,” and Snoop Dogg appears like the avuncular ghost of G-funk’s past on “Anywhere.” After raising the bar with “Malibu,” Paak doesn’t quite reach the same heights this time.
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MojoDec 17, 2018Certainly, the music here is very often brilliant. ... .Paak's tendency for juvenile and preening bad-boy bluster is a recurring weakness. [Feb 2019, p.84]
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Nov 21, 2018Oxnard isn’t quite the epic final chapter .Paak clearly craved for his trilogy--it certainly fails to compare to his 2016 breakthrough masterpiece Malibu--but you have to wonder if he really cares that much. On so many of these tracks he sounds restless, like he’s already thinking about moving on to bigger and better things.
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Nov 19, 2018There are plenty of moments where Oxnard clicks, like the chugging, bum-rush rhythm “Who R U?” ... Still, there are missed opportunities.
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Nov 16, 2018This meeting of joy and aggression is what defines Oxnard, and the effect is not always pleasant--it makes .Paak’s trademark grooves difficult to luxuriate in--but it is still a compelling mode, and one that rehomes his old-school tastes firmly in the present.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 98 out of 113
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Mixed: 10 out of 113
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Negative: 5 out of 113
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Nov 16, 2018Wow! I’s so impressed by the funky, groovy, smooth sound Oxnard has! Fantastic 9,5/10 from 10
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Nov 17, 2018
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Nov 17, 2018It's not anywhere near the level of Malibu, but it's a solid listen with some catchy songs.