Strange Clouds

The [album] is exuberant and enthusiastic, and its architect bops along with an unapologetically clean-cut strut.

Strange Clouds isn't perhaps as thrilling as Adventures, mostly because the thrill of the unknown is gone, but B.o.B.'s second album is superior in almost every respect.

Strange Clouds is a sophomore album that straddles genre lines but does so with an authenticity that many rappers testing the pop waters lack.

B.o.B.'s sophomore record shows he is one of the top hit-makers in contemporary pop.

Despite the superficial trappings of Strange Clouds his talent still breaks through the atmospheric turbulence and shines down on the listener.

The misplaced agendas piercing Strange Clouds are minor hindrances to an otherwise creditable album that has enough juice to maintain significant staying power.

He's blessed with a gift for clear language, rarely missing his point and delivering his thoughtful lines with flinty disdain.

This is bold pop-rap at an "Arena" level, and while partying like a rock star means cohesiveness takes a hit, Strange Clouds is still thrilling and persuasive.

Although much of the album is a gumbo of music industry A-listers, there are enough solo gems to show how much more talented than the average Bobby Ray really is. [#252, p.88]

The flow of Strange Clouds tends to vary between songs that are helping make the album great ("So Good," "Arena," "So Hard to Breathe"), and then the ones that keep pushing it down the route of a sophomore slump ("Ray Bands," "Just a Sign," "Play for Keeps"). Right when there's about to be a trend of some consistency, it ends up falling short.

In his heated drawl, his lovely singing, his producing and guitar- and piano-playing, B.o.B shows off a vast talent. But when the record ends, you just want to hear the Dr. Luke beats again.

The album has no theme and at the end of the day we still don't know who B.o.B. is outside of his affinity for protective eye wear. We just know that he is capable of more than Strange Clouds.

Strange Clouds is ultimately too weighed down by joy-killing self-importance to match [his] debut's hit ratio.

B.o.B. has been adamant about his latest album being created organically, yet that doesn't justify the lack of cohesion or quality found on Strange Clouds.