Album Review: ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE - BROCKHAMPTON

BROCKHAMPTON took the internet by storm with the release of their SATURATION trilogy in 2017, which consisted of three inventive albums with hard-hitting beats and unique personalities. The group has achieved a moderate level of mainstream success since then, in large part due to songs like “SUGAR”, which became radio hits. The following albums that the group released, iridescence and GINGER, reflected the hardships and interpersonal conflicts the group had been navigating after one of their primary members left due to scandals and accusations. This led to major introspection and less of an uplifting atmosphere to a lot of their releases, but not too much to their detriment. After a brief hiatus in 2020, the self-proclaimed “hardest working boyband in the world” has returned with their newest album ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE. Frontman Kevin Abstract has said this is the first of two albums the group will release in 2021, which will also be their final two projects. I had high expectations after the group built hype surrounding this project leading to its release, and luckily, those hopes were exceeded.

The opening track and lead single for this project, “BUZZCUT (feat. Danny Brown)”, is the epitome of the type of music that put BROCKHAMPTON on the map. A loud and colorful beat with sharp production and abrasive lyricism gets things off to an extremely strong and confident start. The Danny Brown feature is used perfectly, as his eclectic delivery fits this beat perfectly. The song’s music video is appropriately fitting, as well, and cements this as one of the strongest opening tracks on any of the group’s projects so far. Next up is “CHAIN ON (feat. JPEGMAFIA)”, which has been reworked since its debut as a part of the group’s Technical Difficulties singles that released last year. Peggy’s verse is packed tight with impressive bars, and its minimal beat is a nice contrast to the opening track. Dom’s closing verse is a new addition to this track and delivers quality as usual. The third track on the album “COUNT ON ME” is a summertime, windows down vibe with non-credited contributions from A$AP Rocky. This track has grown on me quite a bit since its initial release.

“BANKROLL (feat. A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg)” is the beginning of this album’s producers really starting to show off their skills. This beat is intricate, multi-layered, and textured in a way that allows each member’s contributions to shine. I particularly enjoyed Merlyn’s verse on this track. “THE LIGHT” is one of this group’s highest points, with an incredibly crisp and guitar-backed instrumental and lets Joba begin his takeover of this project. The revelation that Joba’s father killed himself last year becomes an anchor for this album’s themes, creating a dark and vulnerable tone that is handled with aggressive and powerful delivery. This album is continually changing in its tone but in a useful and enjoyable way. “WINDOWS (feat. SoGone SoFlexy)” is a traditional hip-hop beat allowing each member to spit their hearts out. The “Go Merlyn! Go Merlyn!” refrain during his verse brought a smile to my face. Matt Champion’s flow is impressive, and despite this track’s 6+ minute runtime, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

“I’LL TAKE YOU ON (feat. Charlie Wilson) is another smooth pop-inspired track with a warm atmosphere that channels GINGER more than any of their previous projects. This is one of the less abrasive tracks on the album, serving as a strong transition into “OLD NEWS (feat. Baird)”, which feels like a traditional BROCKHAMPTON track. Again, Joba’s closing verse is a bright highlight that closes this track strongly. “WHAT’S THE OCCASION?” is another guitar-based track with reverberating vocal deliveries from Matt Champion and Joba. The first few minutes of this track are solid, but its closing instrumental peak is otherworldly, culminating in a beautiful closing that leads well into the next track.

“WHEN I BALL” has one of my favorite instrumentals on this project, channeling The College Dropout-era Kanye West in its smooth and piano-packed summertime sound. Dom’s verses are few and far between on this album, unfortunately, but he brings the heat every time. The soft and accessible sounds from the previous tracks come to a grinding halt with “DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY”, which is as sonically aggressive as SATURATION III’s opening track “BOOGIE”, but with more intense subject matter. Kevin Abstract’s verse is very strong, and the song’s screeching chorus is addictive.

The penultimate track “DEAR LORD” is a completely stripped-back, anthemic, and choral performance that allows the boys to harmonize in a very churchlike fashion. The sentiment of this track is beautiful, as it seems the group is pleading for positivity for their group members Kevin Abstract and Joba who have been through so much in recent months. This track still gives me goosebumps. “THE LIGHT PT. II” is an extremely raw and revealing closing track that brought tears to my eyes, as Joba reflects on his father’s death and reveals all of his thoughts regarding this tragedy with incredible clarity. BROCKHAMPTON has never shied away from sharing its vulnerabilities, but this takes that to the next level. An absolutely brilliant closing track for an astounding album - the group’s best yet.

It has been a pleasure to watch BROCKHAMPTON mature as artists and as people, sharing their journey all along the way. This album is their most refined, confident, and impressive yet, with hard-hitting tracks and emotional reflections that make it an incredibly compelling listen with high replay value. ROADRUNNER sets a new standard for this group, and I can’t wait to see if it can be topped with their final album release later this year.

Favorite tracks: “BUZZCUT (feat. Danny Brown)”, “CHAIN ON (feat. JPEGMAFIA)”, “COUNT ON ME”, “BANKROLL (feat. A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg)”, “THE LIGHT”, “WINDOWS (feat. SoGone SoFlexy)”, “OLD NEWS (feat. Baird)”, “WHAT’S THE OCCASION?”, “WHEN I BALL”, “DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY”, “DEAR LORD”, “THE LIGHT PART II”

SCORE: Strong 8/10

My Top 5 Albums Of 2019

2019 was great for music. As it comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on some of the best projects that were released throughout the past year. Today, I will be ranking and explaining my top 5 favorite albums released in the past year. Let’s get down to business.

Honorable mentions: thank u, next by Ariana Grande, Charli by Charli XCX, All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMAFIA, MAGDALENE by FKA twigs, Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey

5. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish: A breakout star whose popularity spread so rampantly that many thought of her as an industry plant, Billie Eilish is starting to cement herself as one of the best alternative pop artists making music today. The blood, sweat, and tears that she and her brother put into creating this wonderfully creative, dark, and revealing album becomes quickly apparent upon listening, and the replay-ability of this project is undeniable. I cannot wait to see which direction Billie takes musically moving forward, because her debut album was one of the best of 2019.

4. The Highwomen by The Highwomen: I never thought I would like a “country” album as much as I enjoyed this one. The four delightfully talented women who have assembled this blues supergroup released one of the most compelling albums of the year in their self-titled debut project. I found myself humming the choruses to these songs repeatedly and constantly reflecting on the heartfelt lyricism offered here. That lyricism is supported by astounding vocal performances throughout, and this album is jam-packed with very uplifting and positive themes while still heart-wrenching at times. Great stuff here.

3. Assume Form by James Blake: This album was one of my most-listened-to in 2019, and for good reason. James Blake is realizing his full potential as an artist, and the refined nature of Assume Form proves that he’s ready to take the next step in his musical career. Relatable themes, tasteful features, and incredible vocals make this project an incredibly enjoyable listen. Plus, he was great live when my girlfriend saw him locally in February.

2. GINGER by BROCKHAMPTON: While not as explosively braggadocios as the group’s SATURATION trilogy or their uniquely aggressive IRIDESCENCE, GINGER is just of compelling of a project for me as their others, if not more so. This project finally unpacks the departure of former member Ameer Vann, not holding back from sharing the emotional impact that his removal had on the rest of the group. This is as introspective as the boy band has gotten yet, and I’m here for it. Plus, this project is still full of the classic bangers that put these guys on the map in the first place. Again, they are great live and I highly suggest checking them out.

1. IGOR by Tyler, The Creator: They grow up so fast. All jokes aside, Tyler’s evolution as an artist and a person over the past few years is nothing short of awe-inspiring. He prefaced this album making sure his fans knew that this project would be nothing like any of his previous work, which was entirely accurate to say the least. This project is experimental yet immediately familiar, and Tyler’s unabashed emotional vulnerability and honesty adds to this album’s narrative beautifully and compellingly. He put on an incredible show when I was able to see him in October, and the production accompanied by the wonderful story-telling of this project makes it difficult to not call it a 10/10. It’s definitively my favorite album of the year.

The subjectivity of music and of art in general is what makes it so appealing to me. Virtually everyone’s opinions and tastes are different at least slightly, which is why I like to hear the rationale behind others’ favorite pieces of music, art, film, or any other medium. What were your top 5 albums of the year? Do you agree with my reasoning? Let me know. More coming soon.

Album Review: GINGER - BROCKHAMPTON

The self-proclaimed “hardest working boyband” has returned to releasing music with their long-awaited album GINGER. After what was a transitional period for the group musically and personally around the release of their previous project IRIDESCENCE, BROCKHAMPTON has returned to address some the controversies that could’ve easily torn them apart.

To fully appreciate the importance of this album, you need to be familiarized with BROCKHAMPTON as a group and with the drama they’ve collectively been through. The rap group formed after meeting on internet forum kanyetothe.com in 2015. Shortly after meeting, the group moved into a house together and started making music. The group took the internet and hip-hop community by storm after releasing the SATURATION Trilogy, which consisted of three outstanding albums within the same year (2017). After finding success, allegations of sexual misconduct came out against one of the group’s biggest members Ameer Vann. These allegations, along with other personal drama stemming from Vann, lead the rest of the group to elect to kick him out of the group. This sort of decision clearly wasn’t an easy one for the group, but in their mind, it had to be done. IRIDESCENCE, the first album of BROCKHAMPTON’s that came after the Vann incident, was chaotic and disjointed in many ways. It was evident that there was emotional pressure on the group, and they still needed time to process what they had been through. GINGER is the opposite of IRIDESCENCE in many ways, and it is a project about embracing those around you who are still there after shared trauma. This is an amazing project.

What makes BROCKHAMPTON special is getting to know the personalities of all of its members. Whether you prefer Joba, Matt Champion, Kevin Abstract, or Bearface most, every artist has a unique style to contribute, and collectively their stories are greater than the sum of their parts. Having what feels like a connection to this group after getting to know and love their music over the past years makes their emotional rawness throughout this project so powerful. Each member shares their experience over the last year, and each is different - Joba turning to religion, Dom still feeling resentment and anger for the person who betrayed him which comes to a tipping point during the bone-chilling “DEARLY DEPARTED”, or Matt Champion’s reservations to completely blame Ameer altogether. At the beginning of this album, even apparent in its opening lines, it’s clear that the group is lost, but by the end, they are embracing and thankful that they still have each other.

This album is forever going to be cemented as a defining moment in BROCKHAMPTON’s discography. While it isn’t the lightning in a bottle that the SATURATION Trilogy was, this album is powerful thematically while still providing countless catchy hooks, impressive instrumentation, and some of the best tracks I’ve heard in a long time, specifically “SUGAR” which is just fantastic. I laid out the criteria for what defined a perfect score from me in a previous blog post, which basically states that a perfect score means that I wouldn’t change a single thing about the project. There are only some small tweaks I’d make to GINGER. It does exactly what it set out to do, and does so in glorious style. This is a must-listen, and my current album of the year (always subject to change).

Favorite Tracks: “SUGAR”, “DEARLY DEPARTED”, “VICTOR ROBERTS”

Least Favorite Track: “LOVE ME FOR LIFE”

SCORE: 8/10