IV Play [Deluxe Edition]

Recording information: Deuce Station, Atlanta, GA; Germano Studios, New York City, NY; Jungle City Studios, New York City, NY; King's Landing; Oven Studios, New York City, NY; Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, CA; Redzone Studios, Atlanta, GA; Setai Studio, Miami, FL; Silent Sound, Atlanta, GA; Studio At The Palms, Las Vegas, NV; The Funeral Home, Englewood, NJ; The Hamptons; The Nash Estate, Atlanta, GA; The Palms, Las Vegas, NV; The Sand Castle, Bridgehampton, NY; The Tour Bus; Westlake Studios, West Hollywood, CA.
Illustrator: Joe Zeff.
Photographer: Andrew Zeah.
On Love King's "Sex Intelligent Remix," the-Dream announced the title and arrival date of his fourth album. 6-7-2011 instead brought the substandard double single "Body Work"/"F*ck My Brains Out," followed a couple months later by the hyper-indulgent "Internet album" 1977, credited to Terius Nash. In 2012, two middling singles -- "Roc" and "Dope Chick" -- poked radio in the eye rather than killed it. A week before Christmas, as the fourth Dream album remained unfinished, Def Jam altered 1977 and gave it a quiet official release. After several title changes and two years of delays, the fourth proper Dream album arrives with none of those previously released tracks and not much in the way of foreplay. It's more "Panties to the Side" than it is "Playin' in Her Hair." As the-Dream sleepily declares in the title track, he "can give a f*ck about the foreplay." "Equestrian," an homage to Ginuwine's "Pony" and also symbolic of the album, is quick to dispense with euphemisms, with a hook containing "We gon' f*ck all day/We gon' f*ck all night." A robotic "Are you ready to put it in your mouth?" finishes the song. The-Dream produced all but four of the songs by himself and adds some new sonic tricks that are a little brow-raising. "P*ssy" (as in, "Got my left hand on that booty, got my right hand on that p*ssy") resembles a Mike Will collaboration rather than a desperate imitation, while the strung-out slow jam "Too Early," a standout featuring blues guitarist Gary Clark, Jr., sounds little like anything else in the catalog. Guest appearances come from Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Kelly Rowland, and two members of the Knowles-Carter clan. ~ Andy Kellman