Brockhampton
ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE
by Reed Krahulec
After over a year and a half since their last record, America’s boyband is back with their sixth studio album, and this time they brought backup. Unlike their past albums, which scarcely featured other artists, the boys brought on big names like Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, and A$AP Rocky to bolster Roadrunner.
If you go into this album looking for the familiar sound of the Saturation trilogy, you’ll be disappointed, but that doesn’t take away from what it is. Unlike past albums that typically stuck to a consistent sound or theme, Roadrunner bounces from abrasive in-your-face tracks to softer songs with beautiful harmonies. Despite this, no track feels out of place on the album.
The opening track, “BUZZCUT ” features Danny Brown and is an energetic opener for the album. The siren-laced beat is infectious behind Brown’s hard-hitting verse. The sounds of an organ and electric guitar come together on “THE LIGHT” to bring an epic atmosphere that complements the heavy, dark verse from BH member, Joba. The boyband’s lead member, Kevin Abstract, delivers a gritty verse that builds up with the beat on “DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY.” The track erupts at the end of his verse when he yells a frenzy-inducing hook.
The wide variety of sounds on this album matched with the great production give it a ton of replayability. However, while I keep returning to some tracks even after dozens of playthroughs, there are some on here that have failed to keep my interest. Nonetheless, I am excited to see what BROCKHAMPTON has to offer on their next album, expected to come out later this year.
After over a year and a half since their last record, America’s boyband is back with their sixth studio album, and this time they brought backup. Unlike their past albums, which scarcely featured other artists, the boys brought on big names like Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, and A$AP Rocky to bolster Roadrunner.
If you go into this album looking for the familiar sound of the Saturation trilogy, you’ll be disappointed, but that doesn’t take away from what it is. Unlike past albums that typically stuck to a consistent sound or theme, Roadrunner bounces from abrasive in-your-face tracks to softer songs with beautiful harmonies. Despite this, no track feels out of place on the album.
The opening track, “BUZZCUT ” features Danny Brown and is an energetic opener for the album. The siren-laced beat is infectious behind Brown’s hard-hitting verse. The sounds of an organ and electric guitar come together on “THE LIGHT” to bring an epic atmosphere that complements the heavy, dark verse from BH member, Joba. The boyband’s lead member, Kevin Abstract, delivers a gritty verse that builds up with the beat on “DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY.” The track erupts at the end of his verse when he yells a frenzy-inducing hook.
The wide variety of sounds on this album matched with the great production give it a ton of replayability. However, while I keep returning to some tracks even after dozens of playthroughs, there are some on here that have failed to keep my interest. Nonetheless, I am excited to see what BROCKHAMPTON has to offer on their next album, expected to come out later this year.