Anderson .Paak’s Venice Rewards Patience Over Polish

Anderson .Paak’s 2014 album Venice aims for a loose, live sound — a party recorded in one room, if that description fits. The record mostly succeeds, even when the songs themselves don’t quite land.

Track by Track

“Waves” opens the record in under half a minute, a quick intro that sets the tone before “Milk n’ Honey” slows things down with a smooth, easy groove. “The City” keeps that pace, built around a steady drum line and a simple, direct delivery. “Might Be” and “Miss Right” follow close behind, both solid cuts that don’t ask for much attention but hold the middle together.

“Put You On” and “Already” are the weaker stretch of the album. Neither earns much memory after one pass. “Dogtown” runs under a minute, a brief break before “I Miss That Whip” picks things back up with a stronger hook. “Get ‘Em Up” and “Paint” push the tempo further, with “Drugs” closing the first half on a heavier note that stands out next to the lighter material around it.

“Miki Doralude” is the shortest track on the record at under a minute, a brief interlude rather than a full song. “Luh You” brings things back to a steady, soulful pace before the closer, “Right There,” ends the main run on a quiet note. “Off the Ground” closes the album with a longer, more patient build, the strongest ending the record offers.

What Works

The best moments on Venice are the ones that lean into its live, raw sound. “Drugs,” “Get ‘Em Up,” and “Off the Ground” are the clearest examples — they sound less like studio polish and more like a band playing together in real time. That energy is the record’s real strength.

“Drugs”

The lesser tracks — “Put You On,” “Already,” “Dogtown,” “Miki Doralude” — don’t sink the album, but they don’t rise it either. They fill space without adding much.

Ranking the Strongest Tracks

1. “Drugs”
2. “Get ‘Em Up”
3. “Off the Ground”
4. “Might Be”
5. “The City”

The Verdict

Venice is a rough, immediate record that rewards patience more than polish. The best tracks carry real weight, while the weaker ones feel like filler between them. It’s a debut that knows what it wants to be — a live-sounding, loose R&B record — and mostly delivers on that promise.

The recordVenice Anderson .Paak16 tracks · 51 min

1. Waves0:27
2. Milk n’ Honey4:18
3. The City3:34
4. Might Be3:57
5. Miss Right3:19
6. Put You On2:44
7. Already3:14
8. Dogtown0:27
9. I Miss That Whip3:09
10. Get ’Em Up4:09
11. Paint3:58
12. Drugs4:53
13. Miki Doralude0:50
14. Luh You3:31
15. Right There3:27
16. Off the Ground4:48

album review · Anderson .Paak · debut album · R&B · Venice