Album Review: BROCKHAMPTON - GINGER
As much as BROCKHAMPTON have clung obstinately to the self-imposed label of 'boy band' since their inception, for their first few projects it truly did feel like a stubborn insistence of 'we're boys and we're in a band, so we're a boy band' rather than a stylistic declaration. As they spent their first three albums trading off cleverly written verses that ran the gamut from egotism to introspection over some of the most creative instrumentals ever put on a record, it was abundantly clear that the relatively underground and unmistakably indie group were far too inventive to fit under any one label. The SATURATION trilogy that launched them to stardom evoked all sorts of comparisons, from Odd Future (Tyler, The Creator's defunct rap collective) to Wu-Tang Clan, yet the plastic, manufactured sheen of boy bands like One Direction seemed a world apart from their music. Even after the loss of their most rugged member, Ameer Vann, over a variety of external allegations and internal drama, their music only strayed further from the conventional; 2018's iridescence was experimental and abrasive to a fault, a far cry from accessible and catchy singles like GOLD andSTAR that jump-started the group's fame.
Their previous effort, centered around their efforts to grapple with the implications of Vann's departure, nevertheless failed to make any defining statements lyrically and somewhat fractured their fanbase as a result. The wounds were too fresh to comfortably explore, perhaps, and the album being largely built from scratch during a short ten-day stint at Abbey Road Studios only made the product feel even more abrupt and rushed. GINGER, on the other hand, feels deliberate and emotive, the thoughtful response to their past turmoil that the group owed it to themselves to make. While as a whole it suffers from a lack of direction and cohesion, the album still represents the inevitable return to form that BROCKHAMPTON were always capable of, and the honesty backing their words is as compelling as anything they've ever released.
Endless discussions of linguistics aside, the pensive guitar strumming and delicate hook of album opener NO HALO are decidedly separate from both the group's usual pop rap stylings and the superficial lyricism inherent to top 40 hits. Featuring the talents of singer Deb Never on the chorus (the latest in a line of unknown arists bolstered by BROCKHAMPTON's renown), the introspective analysis of each member's struggles and imperfections is irresistible, particularly in lyrical powerhouse Dom McLennon's verse: "Used to fight all my night terrors, now I smoke through the dreams/Depression put me into places where I'm stuck in the seams". Even so, the lethargic production and repetitive chorus leave it to be outclassed in its role by the very next track: the tender 'love song' SUGAR, a cut admittedly reminiscent of more mainstream R&B themes. At least as capable production-wise, the track is also a much stronger demonstration of each member's unique talents: rapper Matt Champion's smooth flow, alt-boy crooner bearface's emotional singing, hook extraordinaire Kevin Abstract's disgustingly catchy bridge ("Back and forth/I'll take that if that's all you asking for/With my legs up on the dashboard/Only thing in my pocket is my passport").
The constant, and often jarring, transitions from sedated R&B to feisty hip-hop are liable to give the listener whiplash, but to its credit GINGER finds the group excelling at delivering hits on both sides of the emotional spectrum, and even improving on past efforts in some areas. The short, quirky BOY BYE alternates between frivolity and seriousness over a whimsical instrumental of guitar plucks and understated percussion, with Kevin's clever bars once again stealing the show: "Need a personal connection, I just wanna feel you, baby/Being sober made me realize how poorly I been behaving". IF YOU PRAY RIGHT ebbs and flows around eerie synths, mechanical percussion, and an indescribably odd trombone melody; all elements that should clash horrendously but somehow end up sounding brilliant, in no small part due to stellar and ostentatious performances from every single member. Even if the extended outro is both unnecessary and nigh unlistenable, the main portion of the track can stand proudly alongside any of the SATURATION trilogy's most enjoyable moments.
This song also shares its instrumental with the earlier cut HEAVEN BELONGS TO YOU, a short interlude featuring UK rapper slowthai as the sole vocalist, yet bizarrely the opportunity for a seamless transition between the two is ruined by the grimy ST. PERCY, sandwiched between them and feeling sorely out of place. On their own, each of these cuts are quite competent; played in sequence, they represent the most egregious example of GINGER's lack of coherence. While the group's previous albums have often progressed into a more melancholic, solemn mood in the second half, here cuts like BIG BOY and the title track are too poorly put together to sustain such an atmosphere, especially coming right after the emotional climax of DEARLY DEPARTED. The album is able to recover a bit of dignity with the sobering LOVE ME FOR LIFE and the sparse, piano-heavy closer VICTOR ROBERTS, yet the ending comes off more bittersweet than the group may have planned on after a few too many subpar moments.
Speaking of DEARLY DEPARTED, it is painfully easy to see why it had quickly garnered praise as one of the group's most gripping, emotional creations; over a tense mix of synth and string melodies, three of the band's foundational members speak with disturbing honesty about what Ameer Vann's departure did to them. Kevin feels betrayed and unmotivated to release more music ("And I must keep creating truths and hooks to get up outta this hell for myself"), while Matt struggles to move on from his past traumas, including the loss of his grandfather. Finally, as the production builds to a crescendo, Dom seethes with righteous fury as he recounts how Ameer set up one of his friends to be robbed ("When somebody that you know throws you in the fire/How do you survive?") and utterly condemns his former bandmate for all to hear, his closing words an absolute denunciation if ever there was one: "That's just where you stand/That's just who you are/That's your cross to bear/You could talk to God/I don't wanna hear, motherfucker".
Between the renewed focus on airing personal grievances and softer, more emotive instrumentation, GINGER is probably the farthest yet BROCKHAMPTON have strayed from their alternative hip-hop roots, and thus a somewhat appropriate progression for the group that once called themselves the "best boy band since One Direction". But that seemingly unsuitable designation was never really about the music itself; it was a nod to their immutable bond as a collective, a group of outsiders that had only their talents and each other to fall back on. Even after Ameer's departure shattered their preconceived ideas about loyalty, GINGER finds them finally able to dissect their feelings on such a betrayal with a riveting transparency, and the result is some of the most emotive art the group has ever produced. Despite its share of regrettable moments and questionable sequencing, the latest BROCKHAMPTON album is a convincing return to form for the group, and their future is once again looking bright.
8/10
Favourite Tracks: SUGAR, IF YOU PRAY RIGHT, DEARLY DEPARTED