17 tracks equate to over an hour of music and far too much is fat. Yet, often times, just hearing T-Pain rap and sing is a joyous experience. Oblivion is a good re-introduction, but it’s lengthy. For an artist with so much range, every step beyond what’s expected will either be well-received or a complete failure, but far too often what’s unexpected on the album is also the most enjoyable. “Cee Cee From DC” is oddly placed, but a nice change of pace with Wale. Absolute R&B allure is ushered in on “The Comeback,” a crossover between T-Pain and Ne-Yo that would have caused mountains to topple in 2008. When it comes to vocal modification, there are few singers with the natural knack to mix sounds up with pleasant results. “May I” is an early favorite, a curveball concept with a rapping Teddy utilizing the Talkbox tool with the same excellence as Auto-Tune. “She Needed Me” is another example of a familiar template tweaked and revamped for modern ears but nostalgic enough for old fan gravitation. “Textin' My Ex” could easily be a leftover from Epiphany or Thr33 Ringz, a compliment to how the song captures so much of what is beloved about Pain’s style of everyman R&B. Oblivion's best moments are when Pain is at his most comfortable or his most daring. His entire rise was based on how unique his sound was compared to the climate. The same can be said about “2 Fine,” a Ty Dolla $ign-assisted filler song that serves no purpose beyond a novelty joint from two melodic masterminds who don’t provide any of the musical mastery that they are known for.
“That’s How It Go” is a better rap effort, but even the JAY-Z “Show Me What You Got” horns barely raise the record to a passable standard. “Goal Line,” the Blac Youngsta-featured first single, is a rap record that should have been left on the cutting room floor. “Straight” sounds like Teddy doing his best Rae Sremmurd impersonation. While Pain doesn't kick off the album sounding like an artist struggling with self-identity, unfortunately, this isn’t definitive throughout.