Something has changed for Brockhampton with ‘Sugar’. The 2019 single, an unobtrusive and enchanting ballad about adolescence, love and sadness, was the group’s most successful song by many standards – it’s their one-off entry on the Billboard Hot 100, culminating in number 66; it is certified platinum by the RIAA; this is the first song from the group to get an official remix, with Dua Lipa, no less. “Sugar” is also their most traditional song, structured to give the featured members an appropriate role: Guest Ryan Beatty sings the inviting chorus; Dom McLennon and Matt Champion rap solid verses; Bearface handles a pre-choir and the outro; and leader Kevin Abstract sings the bridge. Nobody rappers about One Direction; there are no hard, conspicuous gimmicks; and it’s done in 205 seconds. In the best way, it could be someone’s song.
Roadrunner: New light, new machineThe sixth album by the captivating yet sensitive hip-hop collective, maintains this focus on melody and economy, resulting in the group’s most focused and impressive record. It is Brockhampton in their most effective way, reflecting the instrumental and attempts at self-examination. Previously, Brockhampton songs were long and incoherent, which made their albums equally long and incoherent. Meanwhile, a distinctive Brockhampton beat has been built with a unique, often crazy loop: ‘Boogie’ has a fever siren; “Gold” has an arpeggio; “Boy Bye” has what I can best describe as pizzicato MIDI violin.
The rhythm is more subtle Roadrunner, with the muted blossoms and the emphasis on mood: melancholy bliss on “Chain On” and “When I Ball,” passionate swing on “Bankroll.” Without the overwhelming trumpets and belly that are confusing in the foreground, the music is solid and even lush, as with the suite of ‘Bankroll’, ‘The Light’ and ‘Windows’, all co-produced by Abstract, Romil Hemnani and Jabari Manwa . On these three songs, the strongest run of the album, you feel the rappers’ bold confidence, no matter if they are shocked or spit. It’s fascinating.
Since their inception, Brockhampton has prioritized uncontrolled creativity and unfiltered self-expression over discipline or structure. That’s why their songs contain too many verses, that their albums have too many failed experiments, and that’s how you get them. Iridescence‘s ‘Sweetheart’, which feels like a collection of rough concepts sewn together. Roadrunner presses this dissipated energy under pressure, and the mood is consistent, even exuberant. Only one song – the well-deserved posse track ‘Windows’, with a beating Houston style, contains an abundance of versions, while the others emphasize the members’ specific talents, such as when Merlyn Wood plays a hype man on’ Buzzcut ‘ .
The group also continues to blur its line between hip-hop and pop. The rap beats are polished enough to fill the cut of the boyband, which maintains a metronomic quality. Especially the pop song “I’ll Take You On” is a triumph that balances a calm dazzling setback with loving harmonies. Though they emphasize colorful individuality, it sounds best when they are eventually merged into one synchronized unit.
Their newfound discipline also extends to their signature confessions. In the past, a song by Brockhampton felt like an opportunity to dig out and explain every possible trauma Roadrunner, their lives leak through in compelling fragments. At the opening of ‘Buzzcut’, Kevin Abstract performs his colorful slap with provocative mini-scenes: ‘Thank you for letting me crash on your couch,’ ‘My whole family cursed.’ He does the same on ‘The Light’, beating stray lines like, ‘I was broken and desperate and leaned on my best friends.’ We do not need much more.
The darkness appears strongest on ‘The Light’, where Joba’s suicide and its painful aftermath are described. Joba’s story is not linear, and puts the listener in his maelstrom: “Lost, aimless,” “Hope it was painless,” “I know you cared,” “Heard my mother scream,” “I miss your.” His singing is tactfully confused in the mix, burying Joba’s words not so much as dropping him into the music. This is perhaps the most poignant moment Brockhampton has ever recorded.
Elsewhere they sound liberated. Matt Champion is their best rapper, and he shines here. His lines may not mean a ton, but they’re great to mimic, like when he says “Nightmares, it’s scary the moment Freddy stabs you” on “Windows” or the way he punctuates, “It’s a jam for you “shiver and you misery / because the people in the back are on their tips,” on “Do not shoot the party. Everyone sounds like the best version of themselves – focused, dedicated, inspired. The joy of being collective flourishes in every bar and hookup. For the change, it’s a Brockhampton album that does not tell you what to think or feel; it just sounds good.
Buy: rough trade
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