No song is more complex than “Pyramids.” Clocking in at about 10 minutes, Ocean details the escapades of his “Cleopatra.” Halfway though the song, his beauty morphs from seductive temptress from a foreign land to alluring stripper from around the corner. Ocean challenges his listeners to keep up with his journey – if you want simple metaphors, go listen to the girl at the bar who’s been there too long. “Monks” is a hodgepodge of religious imagery, capped off with Ocean and his lover running through the jungle as they escape medevial warriors that sound like they’ve been pulled from Game of Thrones. “Pink Matter” (with Andre 3000) is such a hazy mind trip that even Ocean gets lost in his own thoughts, but you hang on every word, trying to decipher his musings. “Lost” is a relatively upbeat pop song but listen closely and you’ll hear Ocean trying to cope with his drugged-out lover. Ocean’s strength is his vivid imagination and deft songwriting.

The usual themes of sex, love and indulgence are all here but they’re packaged quite differently. When it comes to song themes, Ocean doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, though, Ocean tries a bit too hard to honor the veterans – “Super Rich Kids” sounds more like he’s mimicking Prince than paying tribute. Meanwhile, “Sierra Leone” revels in a laid-back sensual groove that’s been missing since Maxwell left us. On “Pilot Jones,” Ocean rides a beat that’s so minimalistic that the vocals almost sound a capella. Ocean longs for his lover with an exquisite falsetto that adds beauty to his anguish. “Thinking Bout You” leaked online seemingly ages ago, and despite its age it definitely deserves inclusion in this set. Instead of feeding the debate about who is under Ocean’s sheets, let’s talk about how Channel Orange is reviving – and evolving – R&B. This week, Frank Ocean released his studio debut and our attention is back on the music, or at least it should be. Attention shifted from his craft to the fallout – would Ocean find a new audience, or would the staunchly homophobic hip-hop culture tear him apart? One week ago, Frank Ocean rocked the music industry by revealing that he’s bisexual – the first high-profile R&B and hip hop artist to do so. Two weeks ago, Frank Ocean stood as R&B’s last great hope – an artist who many hoped would resurrect the soulful, pivotal genre that’s currently dying a painful dubstep death. Channel Orange (released digitally July 11, 2012)

Channel orange review