Review: BROCKHAMPTON’S ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE (2021)
BROCKHAMPTON’S First of two albums they’ve announced for 2021 is arguably one of their best releases so far
Years and years of being the internets favorite group has certainly been a title BROCKHAMPTON deserved and now in 2021 they decided to bring that to a close. Announcing that they would release two albums this year then call it quits was devastating news to fans everywhere but we know this group isn’t going to go out with but a whimper. Here on their new album ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE they decided to bring out the bangers.
The opening track “BUZZCUT” featuring the eccentric and exceptionally talented Danny Brown kicks the album off on as much of a high note as “BOOGIE” did on their breakout album Saturation III. It’s high energy compared to their last outing, the highly acclaimed Ginger in 2019 which was a bit more laid back yet danceable. These songs sound more like something a party could pop really off to, not just a few people slow dancing and honestly I can’t help but enjoy the energy.
Continuing on to the JPEGMAFIA featured “CHAIN ON” with it’s sliding keyboard sounds and steady beat the song is a bit more of a traditional hip hop track but still carries this aura that the group maintains as a boy band. They make tracks that could fit into the hip hop mold yet there’s also something that elevates them above even the term “alternative hip hop.” They utilize their members talents, of which there are many, to their advantage. There’s rapping, there’s singing reminiscent to NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys and yet they carry these talents over hip hop beats that don’t sound as corny as an early 2000s boy band. That skill is presented so well on this album.
The third track “COUNT ON ME” is a perfect example of modernized trap beats being utilized to their apex by the group. You can have a rapper/singer combo on a track like this easily but there’s a symbiotic relationship on this that is trademark of the groups sound. They love hip hop but also love boy bands, this is a track that combines the two influences very well. If you don’t like boy bands this group has that edge that sets them apart from the corny boy bands found throughout the early aughts. The group has made it a goal to do the label some justice a decade or so after they ruled the airwaves.
The duality of the A$AP Ferg and A$AP Rocky featured track “BANKROLL” is a particularly intriguing mixture of the two styles as the opening verse from Ferg features a pretty familiar trap beat before stepping into more experimental sounds by the time the chorus comes in. The flute sounds in particular really brought the track into some interesting territories, it sounded almost mythical as it came in. I don’t think any of the beats really repeat here save for the chorus but once Ferg’s verse is complete we never hear that beat again. Usually I’d be pretty confused by the inconsistency on the song but I think each beat compliments the performers so well. It’s a practice in individuality on a track. Kind of admirable.
“I’LL TAKE YOU ON” could’ve been a Backstreet Boys hit back in 2000. I’m not fucking kidding, this song is straight up a boy band tune, but better. Matt Champion’s singing on the chorus has to be the standout performance on the track. His voice soars across the track beautifully.
My favorite track on the record is “WHAT’S THE OCCASION?” which starts off a fairly mellow indie influenced track before exploding into a concluding uplifting beat back with electric guitar riffage. As they sing the gigantic chorus:
“A million little pieces
All add up to nothin’ lately
Swim within my bedsheets
It’s somethin’ like a celebration
What’s the occasion?
What’s the occasion?”
I’m filled with elation, it’s a beautiful track that builds to this soaring finale.
The albums concluding tracks are “DEAR LORD” and “THE LIGHT PT. II.” The first track is a brief yet touching prayer to God which gave me DMX’s “Prayer” vibes before bringing us to “THE LIGHT PT. II” which features verses from Joba and Kevin Abstract which sound a lot more like soliloquies than they do raps. They’re honest and introspective and quite emotional and touching. By the end you feel the album has come full circle but you know there’s more in store and you’re a bit anxious to hear it. How can they do better?
I like this album a lot more than I liked Ginger because to me it’s music that can actually be bumped in any situation. Whereas before Ginger maintained a cohesive vibe, these tracks see the group spreading themselves across all of their past endeavors. This album, the first of the groups grand finale, seems like it’s looking back on the last five years proudly and it also shows that the group has learned a few tricks along the way. There’s no shortage of energy and nary a low point to be found here even on the softer tracks. I can’t find much to really hate about it.
