Drake’s ‘Take Care’: Review Revue

The day of release for Drake’s sophomore effort Take Care has arrived, and critics are pretty much in agreement that it’s a much more solid effort than 2010 LP Thank Me Later. Still, not everyone was smitten with Drizzy’s album, which contains songs like the Rihanna-assisted title track, the Nicki Minaj collab “Make Me Proud” and “Headlines”. Jump below to see what the Internet at large had to say about the Toronto MC’s latest.

:: The Wall Street Journal zeroes in on the album’s guests: “There are more than a few songs on the album that sound like they could be hits, beyond the already-released song ‘Headlines’… But Drake’s collaborations are the star of this release. The title track (featuring Rihanna) and ‘Make Me Proud’ (featuring Nicki Minaj) are the kind of hip-hop tracks that are hard to dislike even by those who don’t like hip-hop.”

:: Says the Montreal Gazette, “Initially, it seems as if he is simply up to old tricks, as he spends the first few songs dropping introspective rhymes about how hard it is to be successful, over spare instrumentation and barely-there beats… But a funny thing happens as the album unfolds: it opens up. Soon our man is trying on all kinds of sounds, and they all sound good. When you go back to the start to give it a second listen, it sounds better.”

:: Prefix is a bit more reserved: “It follows that someone the majority of whose interactions with women happen at strip clubs and at post-show meet-and-greets would be confused about romance. On Take Care Drake is either playing at first-sight infatuation (‘Take Care’) or wringing his hands over a break-up (‘Doing It Wrong’). Drake’s less effective at what lies in between, which is disappointing because that’s where the real dramatic action is.”

:: Arjan Writes notes the following: “Overall, Drake’s album is a versatile piece of work that almost anyone can find relevance in. Personal struggles, confusion of where you are in life, or a loved one you can’t seem to let go, Aubrey Graham has not created your typical hip-hop album.”

:: Torontoist takes a look at the latest from the city’s native son: “There are two major problems with Take Care, the second official studio album from Torontonian rap mega-star Drake. First, and most prominently, is Drake’s weird tendency for sitting on the fence between pop star and MC.”

:: The Toronto Star gives a more favorable review: “Drake himself has said that he wasn’t entirely happy with Thank Me Later, and Take Care definitely feels more like one man’s considered vision. Cooked up at home in Toronto with right-hand man Noah ’40’ Shebib handling most production work, it’s a subdued, slow-moving affair that occupies a headspace often closer in tone to ’90s trip-hop — or the recent work of Drake-approved Toronto future-R&B upstart the Weeknd, who turns up on three tracks — than your typical Top 40 rap.”

Alright, enough from these guys — we want to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts on Drake’s new album below, or on Facebook and Twitter!