Iridescence - Brockhampton’s Changing of Colours
Callum Partridge
The rise of Brockhampton, one of the sweetest fruits of an interconnected world, has been nothing short of inspirational. Formed in 2015 via a Kanye West fan page, Brockhampton dominated the latter half of 2017 with the Saturation Trilogy, three left field mixtapes where the group spliced genres and styles so seamlessly that it does them injustice to simply call them a “boyband”. The group stunned the worlds of hip hop and pop with their dynamism, unbreakable camaraderie and stellar creative output. But don’t mistake their intoxicatingly youthful image for immaturity, for scratch the surface and you see a troupe of tenacious creators, who have been working on their craft for years. Their potential merely came to fruition on Saturation, and when their hard work paid off in the form of a lucrative record deal with RCA, it seemed that the sky really was the limit for Brockhampton.
Though I must confess, the departure of core member Ameer Vann left me feeling somewhat nervous. Vann, the poster boy for the Saturation Trilogy, contributed a large portion of the groups personality, and with him out of the picture, the future looked uncertain for Brockhampton. They’d worked so hard to secure the status they so desired, the question was: would they be able to reap the fruits of their labour despite the internal crisis?
Iridescence is the first LP since the shakeup, and the band’s major label debut. The album was released on the 21st of September, with the record’s sole single, J’OUVERT, released a day prior. This rollout was a U-turn from that of their previous work, for which they would release a handful of singles beforehand to stir up some hype. J’OUVERT featured a more maniacal, unhinged attitude. Joba and Merlyn Wood both stepping outside of their comfort zones left an interesting impression, and Bearface’s contribution showed that the group has worked hard to bring him from part-time crooner to integral member. This shift in dynamic comes as no surprise, as other members would have inevitably needed to step up in order to make up for the departure of Ameer’s undeniable star power. The product is one of Brockhampton’s finest songs to date, and left me waiting with bated breath for the full album.
Unfortunately, the boyband doesn’t quite execute this level of quality consistently on Iridescence, which is the group’s most capricious project to date. Though there are multiple standout tracks, the album lacks the front to back chaos and character that we found on Saturation, the aspects that made the group so unique. The group’s sound seems to have been watered down to a degree, and this is most evident on the first half of the project. The opener, New Orleans, is somewhat forgettable, with a lackluster instrumental that is worlds away from what the producers of the group are capable of. The follow up track however, Thug Life, is an instant improvement. The group sounds as cutting edge as ever, blending aspects of pop and hip hop seamlessly, featuring their trademark use of voice pitch and auto tune. The song features heartfelt verses from the group’s core members, and a woozy hook from Bearface, littered with saccharine harmonies.
The third track, Berlin, comes across as a bit too routine for them at this point, and feels like one of the more forgettable tracks you might find on the Saturation trilogy. This is equally the case with Something About Him, a song that is bridled with lack of lyrical creativity, which is a shame because the instrumental and overall production value on the track is warmly nostalgic.
Where The Cash At is a short but sweet track, where the group gives Merlyn Wood a chance to go wild for a brief time, before launching into Weight, one of the album’s standout tracks. The song features a staggeringly honest verse from Kevin Abstract over a soaring, cinematic string arrangement, which then fires into a drum & bass breakbeat, allowing Joba to show his Broadway-esque vocal creativity. This track oozes with the honesty and creativity that made Brockhampton so appealing in the first place, as well as displaying the profound influence that UK subculture has had on the group over the time they spent recording this album at Abbey Road.
The next three tracks, barring the “Loophole” interlude, once more come across as a bit formulaic for the group however. District, though I admire features some high octane performances, is hindered by some sloppy production. The theme of using these distorted sine-wave synth leads again and again on the album is getting somewhat tiresome if I’m being perfectly honest, and this is a problem I certainly didn’t expect to find on this project as in the past Brockhampton has produced some of the most inventive and catchy beats of the 2010’s. I can appreciate that they’re trying new ideas, and I simply cannot fault them for testing the waters in the way that they are, but this ain’t it chief.
That being said, once J’OUVERT arrives, the track list gets more and more consistent. HONEY, is one of the more exciting moments on the project. The song is split into two halves, the first a pop rap vibe that is reminiscent of Kanye’s Robocop of 808’s and Heartbreak, while the second is chopped and screwed into serenity, featuring some beautiful delayed harmonies over soaring guitar leads. It’s one of the few moments on the album that has a distinct feeling of grandeur and greatness, and I could honestly listen to it all day. This feeling returns on the gloriously sunny San Marcos, a song that serves as a reminder that the group operate best in the polar icecaps of their musical canon, whether it be on the beautiful slow-burners or the batsh*t bangers. If there were any doubters over the groups “boyband” status before San Marcos, those doubts can now be safely laid to rest, as the bright acoustic guitars and Bearfaces nostalgic vocal chops make the track feel like an old Busted song. Yes, that Busted.
We then hit Tonya, a song which originally debuted earlier this year via a dejected performance on the Tonight Show, a performance that initially made me fear for the new look Brockhampton, has ended up being the standout track on Iridescence. This track is truly stunning, with impassioned performances from Kevin Abstract, Bearface, Merlyn, Dom and Joba. The composition on this track is top class, and the addition of Serpentwithfeet on the hook is a razor sharp decision on the part of the group, as he is one of the most exciting and talented LGBT artists knocking on door in 2018. Tonya is reaffirming, it shows me that the group is arguably more capable than ever before, despite their losses, and that their future is still one of the most valuable prospects in the world of pop music. This is reiterated on the final cut, Fabric, which is one of the group’s most cutting edge tracks to date. The song features one of Abstract’s most empowering hooks yet, as well as an evolving instrumental that allows the group’s core members to shine brighter than ever. They end the album with a statement from Merlyn Wood, on behalf of the group, saying that “These are the best years of our lives motherf*cker”.
That much, I do not doubt.
Iridescence may be a prototype, taste of what is to come, or perhaps it’s just an experiment. Regardless, it reminds us that there’s a reason this group has garnered the attention they have, and is a promising start to post-Ameer life. Though far from perfect, tracks like Tonya, San Marcos and Fabric show that the group is destined for greatness. There would’ve been a great deal of pressure on the group to produce on this album, and I’d say they’ve passed the test with flying colours given the circumstances.
The album was recorded over a very short and strict space of time at Abbey Road, and the group seems to have made a few stylistic compromises here and there. Some members shine more than others, and while those who shine really do shine, Brockhampton was never about a handful. My hope for the groups’ next project is that they combine the artistic maturity that they’ve developed on this project, with the left-field and carefree attitudes they displayed during their come-up. God only knows how long the group was sitting on the Saturation Trilogy before rolling out the blue carpet, but Iridescence’s shortcomings are mostly things that could’ve been remedied with patience, and I hope that the next project is more meticulously crafted than this. That being said, Iridescence is an exciting project that is worth your time.
