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Rating: * *
Akon is an acquired taste. While some may love the Senegalese rap singer - enough to see his previous two album's combined sales soar past eight million - others may experience physical spasms of the spine when they hear his distinct, nasal lilt.
For those people, Freedom offers no relief; Akon's voice reaches an all-time irritant high, as he adopts Kanye West's newfound fervour for the vocoder.
While Kanye pulled off the robotic riffs, Akon's attempts fall short when combined with lame love-lost lyrics.
Anyone trying to win back a lover should think twice before turning to Akon's lyric book, with lines like "Cause you considered wifey, and I'm considered husband ... And either way you look at it, I ain't goin' nowhere from my muffin."
When he's not lamenting his romantic failures, Akon reflects on his ghetto roots with Wyclef Jean on Sunny Day and the soaring, African-influenced Freedom. Subject matter aside, both songs stand out as they escape the constant barrage of "na na na" or "hey hey" choruses.
Having successfully found a good hook, Akon seems intent on jamming it into every song on the album, along with the near identical rhythms and tempo.
The result, unsurprisingly, is everything sounds the same. Which doesn't bode well for those who don't like the sound of Akon to start with.
Joanna Hunkin
