Thr33 Ringz

Where it once seemed that T-Pain might turn out to be nothing more than a charlatan with an Auto-Tune, Thr33 Ringz confirms his place as one of pop music’s most imaginative and idiosyncratic personalities. As a producer, T-Pain has grown to the point where his beats are now fleshed-out canvases flush with rainbow synths, vocal effects, and skittering drums. “Blowing Up,” “Superstar Lady,” and “It Ain’t Me” are chock full of charm and dazzle, but they have a fleet-footed touch that outmodes the competition. Even on seemingly pedestrian songs he tucks in little musical surprises like the a capella breakdown in “Freeze.” “Keep Going” and “Karaoke” feel like T-Pain’s attempts to prove that he can sing and rap without the Auto-Tune, but in truth, he has no reason to worry. For him the Auto-Tune isn’t so much a gimmick as it is a tool that he's used to create a fully-realized style for himself. The best songs here, “Can’t Believe It,” “Therapy,” and the truly awesome “Chopped ‘n’ Skrewed,” show T-Pain still perfecting an art that, while widely imitated, belongs wholly to him.