All Day is, by its very nature, an extremely difficult album to review. There aren’t really “songs” to highlight, themes to pick up on, lyrics to quote. It isn’t an “album” as we know it, though fewer and fewer artists are following such traditional formats anyway. All Day’s hodgepodge of instantly gratifying pop hooks, in its ADD shifts and persistent peaks, is a reflection of how people listen to music now; there doesn’t seem to be an organizing principle to its madness. It’s less an album than a playlist, a distinct product of an iPod–inclined generation. But, then again, so were Girl Talk’s last two efforts. And this one isn’t exactly better.
It’s not as if Girl Talk’s craft has faltered. He’s still a master of the mash–up, his creations are as surprising as ever and his samples are ambitious in quantity and breadth. Few artists would mash up Lady GaGa and Iggy Pop, or so subtly implant the intro of YACHT’s “Psychic City (Voodoo City).” Yet the Pittsburgh native isn’t in danger of emulating anyone else — no one in his genre has become nearly as accomplished as him. All Day can sound slightly derivative at points, yet its true derivation is clear: it’s an unfiltered reflection of Girl Talk’s earlier work, complete with the guise of brand new, radio–ready samples and throwback pop gems.
And, that said, All Day is still an enjoyable listen. A lack of originality doesn’t make Skee–Lo’s “I Wish” any less triumphant, nor does it strip the brilliance from a mash–up of Wiz Khalifa and The Rolling Stones. Girl Talk is as much of a party as ever, it’s just a party we’ve been to several times before. And it might be time for something different.
Girl Talk All Day Sounds Like: Pretty much everything 99-Cent Download: The album is free. Your money is no good here. Good For: Parties; people who get bored easily 3/5 Stars
