Released: 2011
Genres: R&B, Neo-Soul
The Musiquarium’s nostalgia,ULTRA. Review Score: 4/5
After a stint as a ghostwriter and as a member of the hip-hop collective Odd Future, Frank Ocean releases his first mixtape, nostalgia,ULTRA.
The first single, Novacane, is a sensual tale of sex and drugs, and is probably the most definitive song here; the other single, Swim Good, is another highlight. There are also other buttery-smooth R&B jams like, Strawberry Swing and Songs for Women. There are a few tracks that hold this mixtape back though; the four interludes (all named after video games) don’t amount to much of anything, and end up feeling quite superfluous. Then there’s American Wedding, which is basically just Frank Ocean singing over an instrumental version of Hotel California, which just feels lazy. Nature Feels is also guilty of this, basically doing the same thing with MGMT’s Electric Feel, a song that was a massive hit only a few years prior.
Despite finding nostalgia,ULTRA. to be a bit underwhelming and overrated, this is still a mostly good mixtape, which showcase the potential that Frank Ocean possesses.
For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Frank Ocean on Discogs.
Back to the 2011 Album Guide or the Frank Ocean Reviews page.
Written by Brett Nippard