Written Before Listen
I feel like anybody viewing this knows who BROCKHAMPTON is. the California boy band consisting of 14 members at the time. Only 6 of them are vocalists though. The other members take part in the producing, visual arts and everything else. BROCKHAMPTON is easily one of the most unique groups of our time with a huge DIY aesthetic and a huge emphasis on their Odd Future and Kanye West influence. With that being said, lets see how this BROCKHAMPTON album is
Features
So other then that one Jaden Smith feature on “iridescence”, BROCKHAMPTON is not a feature heavy group but they change that perception on this album. We first start off with one very amazing Danny Brown feature that fits the energy of Kevins verse perfectly. We then get another amazing feature with JPEGMAFIA with his typical rap style and rhyme scheme. A$AP Ferg also appears on “BANKROLL” sounding better than he has in a while. Rocky on the other hand delivers two mediocre hooks. Matter of fact the verses that feature on here but the hooks I could’ve taken or left. That’s basically my thoughts in a nutshell about the features.
Performance
So now lets talk about the actual members. First off Kevins contributions are all on point and so as Dom. Despite being a little inconsistent, Merlyns contributions can be really awesome sometimes and especially on “WINDOWS” with the little “go Merlyn” chant while he goes off. Bearface does his usual giving a nice somewhat heartwarming verse for each verse he’s in. Lets be real and not try to cut corners. Joba easily outdoes everyone. His verse on “THE LIGHT” and the sequel of it too are two of the best verses I’ve ever heard on a BROCKHAMPTON track and this is the same group that had that opening verse on “JUNKY”. The only member im kind of hit or miss on for this album is Matt Champion. I feel like nearly every verse he’s on is just kind of there. Overall, other than some hooks and underwhelming performances, I think all members give good performances.
The Hype Tracks
So there are two sides of BROCKHAMPTON. The banger side and the introspective side. Let’s start by talking about the hype tracks. Both “BUZZCUT” and “CHAIN ON” are super strong examples of BROCKHAMPTON at their best as so as the track “BANKROLL” that appears a couple tracks later. Other than that though, we don’t really get a hype track until the end of the album with “DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY” which is also a great track in its respective right. Like always BROCKHAMPTON deliver some amazing bangers. I just wish they appeared more frequently.
The Deep Tracks
Just like I said. BROCKHAMPTON are never strangers to going deep and this where my gripes begin. First off, “THE LIGHT” is easily one of the best deep tracks from the band and “WHATS THE OCCASION” is surprisingly bittersweet. Now….let’s mention “OLD NEWS” which is easily one of the most forgettable tracks on this album. I’m also not really the biggest fan of “OLD NEWS” which sucks because the beat is super smooth. I just think both Dom and Matt could’ve done SO MUCH BETTER. As you can see, the deep cuts are a mixed bag for me. There are some amazing tracks (thanks to Kevin and Joba) and there are some tracks i’m not really big on for one reason or another.
Cons
Other than the stuff that I’ve mentioned such as some of the filler songs and the mediocre hooks, I think one thing I should mention is “ILL TAKE YOU ON” which is BROCKHAMPTONs take on a boy band track. First off, the boy band sound is not really something I am big on and the second is that BROCKHAMPTON don’t even do it well. Other than that, this doesn’t usually hit me as hard but appears in nearly all BROCKHAMPTON albums. The tracklisting. I think they put “THE LIGHT” a little too early on the album and I feel like Bearface gospel track could’ve just ended the album and had “THE LIGHT PT II”. I honestly think that “THE LIGHT” and “THE LIGHT PT II” would’ve worked sooo much better as one long track. Other than that, I enjoy the album quite a bit and has some of the best BROCKHAMPTON tracks of all time.
Verdict
Although I like the album and some tracks are amazing, I just don’t think they’re as good as the SATURATION trilogy. I know thats kind of a pretentious statement and kind of basic but it’s just true. Also, even though I liked Iridescence and GINGER, I do think this is better than both of those albums. This album lands in the middle of the BROCKHAMPTON catalog for me.
6/10
Previous Review:https://www.247otb.com/post/godspeed-you-black-emperor-g_d-s-pee-at-states-end-album-review
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