albums and tracks

808s & Heartbreak sees Kanye West move away from the educational theme of Late Registration and Graduation towards rawer, more intimate subject matter. Love Kanye or hate him, from the opening orchestral swoop, you sense this is going to be pretty special.

So this is what Kanye sounds like behind all the fronting - and boy is it good. There's (whisper it) a lot more actual singing, with the few raps provided by guests. Lifted further by choirs, strings, synthesisers and vocal effects, he shines.

You have to wonder whether tour support and album collaborator Mr Hudson, who features on 'Paranoid', should take credit for this new Kanye - all low-key melodies and tragic lyrics.

Next single 'Heartless' will have us singing along to "the coldest story ever told", while 'Coldest Winter', with its synthesiser, drums and anthemic vocal, could almost be an '80s Genesis track. 'Amazing', featuring Young Jeezy, is from the Britney and Kylie school - acknowledging that a simple word repeated can be mighty catchy.

Album highlights? That's like asking a parent to pick their favourite child. 'Paranoid' is an upbeat, electro-drenched stunner, while 'See You In My Nightmares' is a dark ditty that sees a super-processed Kanye unleash his Marilyn Manson side with help from Lil' Wayne.

A few tracks suffer - 'Robocop' appears average when surrounded by such triumphs, while the live-recorded 'Pinocchio Story' suffers from poor production. But as a whole, 808s & Heartbreak is mature, brave, different and lyrically eloquent.

An album from a rapper containing barely any raps should be destined for disaster, but this epic masterpiece defies probability. Mr West may need to invest in a larger Grammy shelf.

Sophie Bruce

Picture: Wenn