Mario

Turning Point

He's Turning Away From His True Voice

Review Score:

(6/10)
Much like Usher does, Mario yearns for a harder image. It's been three long years, and Mario never did quite hit like he was supposed to his first go round. He is making sure that doesn't happen again. 'Turning Point' is full of radio-ready hip-hop cuts, but none of it is astounding. In fact, Usher already did this album, just better. Mario has nothing to say, and in fact only wrote two of the thirteen songs on the album (if he wrote more, I apologize for the miscalculation). 'Boom' is a straight-up 'Yeah' knock-off, except there is no bombastic funk like the kind Usher served up for his crunk make-over, and I will also add that Juvenule sounds extremely mis-placed on this album. Elsewhere is contrived as well, 'Call the Cops' is a nice club-ditty with its sparse, diwali inflected beats, but when Mario claims he is "a lil' horny", you know something is up-and it's not his manhood-it's simply clever production.

The pinnacle of Turning Point is the haunting, slow-burner "Let Me Love You", it's Mario in his truest form- a soulful, talented young man who has greater depth than this shallow album lets on to. Mario is no p-i-m-p, as he claims midway through his second effort, nor does he have to spurt curse words to be more grown. After three years, old fans and new fans alike deserved a stronger, more authentic album than this. Turning Point is by no means an awful album, in fact it is great contemporary r&b, but c'mon folks, we all know Mario is capable of so much more. If 'Nikes Fresh Out The Box' is any indication, he could very well be our generations Smokey Robinson, be that as it may, maybe with another three years in-between his next album we will see the true Mario, but this ain't it.

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