Summary:The fourth full-length release for Stephen Bruner as Thundercat features guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, and Pharrell.
Thundercat has, by skirting around the edges of darkness, created a moody, magnificent, endlessly replayable record that also makes sense in late February.
When Bruner's social conscience speaks up, the insights--spiced with slacker humour, free of sanctimony--are persuasive, even moreso when accompanied by an embrace of his flaws.
The tracklist could stand a little pruning, but Thundercat’s virtuoso bass playing and impressive cast of collaborators make it an early standout of 2017.
Each of his solo albums reflects that musical range, and Drunk (Brainfeeder) crams 23 songs and snippets into 51 minutes that evoke the sumptuous jazz-infused R&B of the '70s, filtered through catchy melodies, undergirded by virtuoso musicianship and salted with conflicting emotions.
The most electronic album by Thundercat, but without put aside R&B groove, Jazz technique, humor, creative experimental moments and,The most electronic album by Thundercat, but without put aside R&B groove, Jazz technique, humor, creative experimental moments and, principally, amazing basslines.…Expand
A masterful mix of jazz, funk, humor and psych that works as the most enjoyable astral trip. This is, possibly, one of the best albums weA masterful mix of jazz, funk, humor and psych that works as the most enjoyable astral trip. This is, possibly, one of the best albums we listen in all year.…Expand
Gurgly, messy, and matter of fact are some adjectives I can think of for this album. It's hilarious to listen too, but that can actuallyGurgly, messy, and matter of fact are some adjectives I can think of for this album. It's hilarious to listen too, but that can actually distract from the easy listening R&B that it provides.…Collapse
It's rare time when I immediately wanna to write something about my impressions of any conceptual arts. I had my first strange meeting withIt's rare time when I immediately wanna to write something about my impressions of any conceptual arts. I had my first strange meeting with this album when I was scrolling tracklist of "To pimp a butterfly". I had known something about him before, but only in this time I decided to listen his creation. I was young and just didn't understand the unique wibe of album. After about one and a half years I came back to this thing to understand bad is it or not. For my the greatest surprise it was smooth jazz experimental album with non-repeatable style. A lot of sound by bass guitar, synthesizers and etc... but for me it's a big loss that there isn't piano sound enough. Only on three tracks were short but great part of piano, otherwise it's seems like jazz experience is not full. What's about sing part? How said one man on metacritic, on the album:"Tcat have the same style of singing everywhere",- but it's not true on 100 per. I can agree that autotune is similar everywhere (it's not true, but, okay, we'll not care), but he was often different on every track. Maybe user wanted to say that the motive of songs is the same and it has sence, because it's true. Three songs: Rabbot Ho (intro), Captain Stupido (song after intro) and DUI (outro) have the same melody, Captain Stupido and Show You The Way have same singing tact. A lot of songs of this album have similiar bass guitar. I think this head reason why people can hate it. If you don't like one song, you may not like to 40-50 percent of stuff of all album (or even all creation by Tcat). You could think all album is boring because it's monotonous but no! Throw this though into trash backet. The wibe of the album can or make your sad night after busy day at work, school or something else or be boring trash experiment. One thing that you must do: listen it and make your own opinion about it. Don't have anything beforehand about the album in your mind and may be this creation will make you happy today.…Expand
A lot of what makes Thundercat such a cool artist is here. Colorful and groovy mix of jazz, R&B, electronic, and 80s soft-rock, fantasticA lot of what makes Thundercat such a cool artist is here. Colorful and groovy mix of jazz, R&B, electronic, and 80s soft-rock, fantastic rhythm and basslines, and a fun personality, Drunk is an intoxicating mix of some stellar songs like Friend Zone, Tokyo, and Show You the Way (which features yacht rock kings Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins). However as intoxicating and ethereal as this album is, it does wear it's welcome down after the second half, making the album a lot longer than needed. And also making me hate Thundercat's weak falsetto, something that I never wanted to do but dear lord it happened! It also would have helped if Thundercat mixed up the tracklist and added some jams instead of draggy ballads that were leftovers of forgotten B-Sides to 80s singles. It's still a great album overall, but nowhere as good as his past work.…Expand
I honestly tried my best on this one. I must have listen to the entire album for 5 or 6 times, with pauses, day and night, but nothingI honestly tried my best on this one. I must have listen to the entire album for 5 or 6 times, with pauses, day and night, but nothing exceptional came to me... It truly sounds like an experimental album. I don't have anything against experimental albums but 'Drunk' goes way too far. Some tracks ring a bell inside of me and turn out to be catchy, funny, devilish or all three at once. Thundercat successfully manages to reunite amazing artists to help him through his project. And we all have to admit some of them just save the track they are invited on. Some moves are really ingenious and jazz pieces are sometimes greatfully included in the tracks.
Still 'Drunk' appears to me as an *effing* endless project. Thundercat voice doesn't change a single time. Always remains creamy and soft, but so soft it strangely becomes painfully boring. Ok, the guy can "rap", sing and whistle but I'm sorry to inform you that that's not enough to satisfy me. Once again, other artists bring some variety in this mess, thank god. Another thing is that 'Drunk' has absolutely no continuity. The sequencing of the tracks is such that they seem to have been produced without any link between them. We are just toss in this indescriptible mess of notes, sounds, bursts of voice and instruments until death, madness or the loooong-awaited end of the album comes to free you from this pile of musical rubbish.
Please don't get me wrong: I think 'Drunk' is a cool album. Just for people who are consuming a lot of drugs and/or are as crazy as Thundercat. Unfortunately it's not my case. It constantly feels like i went too far out of my comfort zone on this one. As I said I made an effort to listen to this album (and many times), but it feels like the album just didn't make a single step in my direction and chose to remain wierd, distant and sometimes even causing me severe headaches. It balanced several times between 'ok' and 'awful' kind of art. That's regrettable. However I can't wait to listen to other albums of Thundercat, hoping this one was the strangest and the most experimental one. In this case everyone deserves a second chance.
(I just noticed I was the first negative written review on 'Drunk' so I hope my opinion will enlighten more people than it will drive them crazy)…Expand
