Grammy-winning bass virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Bruner, better known as Thundercat, returns to the fold with his signature oddball mix of jazz fusion, hip hop, pop and funk with his latest release, Drunk (Brainfeeder). Bruner, a Los Angeles native, was born into a musical family, picking up the bass guitar as a child. His father Ronald Bruner Sr. was a drummer who performed and recorded with the likes of Diana Ross and Gladys Knight. His older brother, Ronald Bruner Jr. is a Grammy-winning composer and drummer, notably as a member of LA hardcore legends Suicidal Tendencies, who Stephen would later join for bass duties.
For those who may not be familiar with Thundercat’s solo efforts, perhaps it’s best to start by touching on his work behind the scenes as an in demand session musician and song writer, most notably on Erykah Badu’s New Amerykah Part One & Two, Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet, and Kendrick Lamar’s critically acclaimed To Pimp a Butterfly, which earned Bruner a Grammy award in 2015. The most prolific and frequent of Bruner’s collaborations however, is his long-standing working relationship with Steven Ellison, known to the world as Flying Lotus, a legendary figure in LA’s eclectic and dynamic “beat” scene. (Ellison is also the founder of Brainfeeder label). Thundercat appeared on Lotus’ 2010 album Cosmogramma, as well as playing bass for live performances with Flying Lotus. Conversely, Flying Lotus has been noted as being the main contributor on Drunk.
Drunk is the third studio album by American musician Thundercat.
Drunk follows along a similar path to Thundercat’s 2015 EP The Beyond/Where Giants Roam, as opposed to his last full length LP 2013’s Apocalypse, which had a faster, funk driven consciousness, whereas Drunk feels decidedly more relaxed and spacious, an aural equivalent of watching dust caught in beams of sun in a post-party come down. That’s not to say it’s all leisurely paces here. The squelchy synthesizer funk in “Friend Zone” would be equally comfortable as a mood boosting soundtrack to a daily errand run as it would be to kick off a rooftop party as the sun sets over a city skyline, while “Uh Uh” is a non-stop jazz fusion standout that serves to showcase Bruner’s absolute mastery of his instrument, working the entire range of his massive 6 sting bass guitar. If you are a fan of Andre 3000’s The Love Below half of OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, this album is directly up your alley.
One of the standout elements of the album is the glorious layering of Bruner’s incredibly unique and smooth voice. A great deal of the tracks on here feature Bruner acting as his own backup singers, with a synthesizer-like character that echoes and weaves around his not-quite-falsetto voice, reminiscent of 70’s AM US radio gold. This quality creates a really interesting juxtaposition as you focus in on the album’s lyrics. While your brain immediately recognizes the sounds and tones as something familiar from decades past, the lyrics, often referencing video games (“Friend Zone”), anime (“Tokyo”) and blatant inebriation (“Drink Dat”) add a modern update to keep things fresh.
1970’s AM radio relates directly to some of the records more surprising featured guests. Sure, the album has features you’d likely expect from Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell, who lends his voice to “The Turn Down”, which pleasingly sounds like something from his In My Mind days. But the real surprise is hearing both Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald feature on “Show You The Way”, which fittingly sounds like a bit of unreleased 70’s soft rock that somehow found it’s way into 2017, and what could have easily been a really cheesy attempt at being clever ends up being one of the most enjoyable slow burners on the album.
Admittedly, Drunk won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. There is a fair bit of experimentation on here, and depending how you feel about “out there” funk and jazz might be the tipping point on your opinion of the album. I personally love how some of the tracks feel like half-formed ideas and sonic sketches, but that may again be a deal breaker depending how easily you can look past more traditional song structure, but if you are feeling adventurous, you just might find Drunk staying on repeat for a while.
As always, it’s the details that make the music and nothing showcases those details quite like a fantastic hi-fi system. Come by your nearest Richer Sounds and let us help you get the most out of your record collection.
Author: Colin, Chiswick store
