ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE
BROCKHAMPTON let the story of their group get bigger than their music. They went from being fun disruptors of a corrupt industry, to so thoroughly entrenched in the ugliness of the industry that their music became taboo itself. Their last album GINGER was overwhelmed by the mythos they created for themselves. The members of BROCKHAMPTON felt reluctant to embrace the constant drama that they were embroiled in, yet that made the drama become absolutely unavoidable and it permeated through every track. Thankfully, BROCKHAMPTON’s newest project ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE moves past the anger and brings them back to what they do best. ROADRUNNER is full of summer-ready, bangers, innovative production, and creative song structures.
BROCKHAMTON’s three-album run in 2017 was the stuff of legend. Saturation I, II, and III were paradigm-shifting projects, and the group only seemed poised to grow bigger. Then, the creative spring ran dry. For the last couple of years, BROCKHAMPTON’s music has been both static and tense. Each album has felt like they were pushing against a narrative that went far beyond their music. It felt like they were trying to prove themselves on every song without ever truly moving forward.
From the first track on ROADRUNNER, it’s clear BROCKHAMPTON is done with the past. “BUZZCUT” opens with a heavy 808 and chanted vocals. There’s a voracity in each vocal performance that has been missing for years. Kevin Abstract screams out “who let the dope boys out” and the album launches into an onslaught. The 808s are soon joined by various vocal samples and the chaos only grows in intensity as different voices are added to the track. The song also has a featured artist, which is rare for BROCKHAMPTON, and Danny Brown completely changes the vibe of the song.
The emphasis on featuring artists carries through and affects the ethos of the project. The song “BANKROLL” features A$AP Ferg and A$AP Rocky, and their energy helps create one of BROCKHAMPTON’s most silky bangers of their career. The song perfectly incorporates BROCKHAMPTON’s infectious production style with poppier verses from all artists. While Ferg and Rocky do not seem like traditional BROCKHAMPTON collaborators, the group evolves to fit them so well that they might as well be part of the group.
BROCKHAMPTON have also mastered their unique blend of indie music and hip-hop. On the track “WHAT’S THE OCCASION” Matt Champion and Joba trade of serenading you over a slow drum medley. The song reaches its climax toward the end when a sweeping guitar solo enters and changes the track completely. Joba’s voice perfectly merges with the instrumental to create a transcendent experience. The guitars don’t feel like a gimmick thrown in to prove their versatility, the guitars feel like a necessary part of their formula.
Kevin Abstract announced that ROADRUNNER would be BROCKHAMPTON’s second-to-last project. It’s truly a shame that just as they are beginning to find their voice again, the group is coming to an end. This project represents a return to something more important than just making songs – the group is back to creating magic.