Heard It Here First

In some musical circles, Stephen Lee Bruner may not be what you call a “household name.” A multi-instrumentalist, record producer, singer, songwriter – Bruner has nevertheless done it all under his more widely-recognized pseudonym: Thundercat.

After emerging as the bassist of the revived thrash/punk band Suicidal Tendencies at the age of 18, Thundercat has since diverged on a path that is studded with stars, versatile in approach, and undeniably his own.

And yet, his career has scarcely seen the producer/artist residing in his lonesome: as a studio musician, he has supplemented the works of acclaimed musicians such as Erykah Badu and Flying Lotus. Furthermore, he was cited as a creative force providing guidance and influence while absolutely shredding on the bass throughout Kendrick Lamar‘s ubiquitously acclaimed album To Pimp A Butterfly.

Nevertheless, Thundercat has maintained a rigorous release schedule beside frequent collaborations with the latest album – titled It Is What It Is – marking his fourth full-length release in a decade.

While Kendrick’s “These Walls” netted Thundercat a Grammy, his original music has been nothing to scoff at with sophomore album Apocalypse rising to #2 on the Heatseekers chart and the 2017 follow-up Drunk peaking at #6 on the Billboard R&B charts.

It Is What It Is kicks off in routine form – abstract, that is – with Thundercat’s wistfully layered vocals synthesizing a siren song that ensnares listeners. The lead track “Lost in Space / Great Scott / 22-26” is over before you can even finish saying its name, but it firmly establishes the album’s emotional themes as our mentally-adrift narrator compares and contrasts ideals of performance and death.

This intro flows seamlessly into the next track “Interstellar” as it cuts through the instrumental ambiance of its predecessor with a sick bass lick. Polyrhythmic percussion perplexes the piece as it competes with arpeggiated, layered bass and a soulful saxophone performance, but the dizzying piece is charming in its disorientation.

“I Love Louis Cole” succeeds the opening with a clear change of direction supported by none other than Louis Cole himself – hailing from jazz-funk electronic duo KNOWER. With sweeping orchestral sounds indicative of the collaborators influence, the song bursts out from the low-key ideals starting the album with explosive drums and a rhythmically feverish bass line pushing the pace.

Following is the album’s second single “Black Qualls” supplemented with a Childish Gambino verse in addition to the single’s contributions from Steve Lacy & Steve Arrington. The track is a powerful anthem against modern paranoia and the acceptance of self in any form, and it resides in a soundscape of matured jazz influences and nostalgic R&B grooves.

Dissonant chords hardly spare a moment in departing into “Miguel’s Happy Dance” whose fuzzy tone contrast the otherwise filtered-but-fluid instrumentals. The lyricism is similarly confused as it flip flops between unbridled optimism and distracting emotionality.

“How Sway” is perhaps the most excitable instrumental on the album – and deservedly so as it is merely dotted with breathy vocalizations of “ayy” & “yo.” Barely running longer than a minute, the interlude of sorts reads like a musical flex with fast-moving chords and trap percussion desperately attempting to distract from the feverishly active bass.

Another brief piece is delivered in “Funny Thing” whose enveloped bass tone is reminiscent of that oft-employed on To Pimp A Butterfly. The intoxicating and romantically dangerous lyrics are reflected in the alluring synth chords flowing freely above an emphatically fast-paced four-on-the-floor.

The third in a string of tracks under the two-minute mark is the worldly expanse of “Overseas.” Continuing the trend of romantic devotion and intended intoxication, the track employs charming lullaby synths underscoring the fantastical groove and lyric. The tune is punctuated by a silly voice-over from comedian/musician Zack Fox that segues into the third single – “Dragonball Durag.”

With absurd but symbolic commentary through Apple Music, Thundercat says of the single: “There are two types of people in the world: the guy with the durag and the guy who doesn’t know what a durag is. The durag is a superpower, to turn your swag on, it does something, it changes you.”

Moving from the performative ideals of the previous tracks, “Dragonball Durag” synthesizes peacocking into an oddly endearing and instrumentally impressive track. Analog synth sounds compete with similarly plotted piano riffs with rippling saxophone lines occasionally cutting the mix, and the soulful weaponizing of lyrical goofiness somehow furthers the musical sentimentalism.

A brief interlude separates this from the album’s lead single. Layering “oohs” and “aahs” beneath arpeggiating synths and bass, “How I Feel” rhythmically evolves on a momentary basis with its perplexed observation-only ever interrupted by delicate wind chimes.

Aforementioned chimes drift into “King of the Hill” – a pensive track that seeks to answer the lingering questions of reality. Whether speaking to the previous romantics or unrequited mysticism throughout the album, old-timey strings and convoluted lyrical ideas indicate adherence to some sort of illusory game.

Backed by Canadian jazz-fusion band BADBADNOTGOOD and Flying Lotus (performing outside of his production credits throughout the album), “King of the Hill” details the costs of collaboration while exemplifying the powers of such. ’70s soul synths bounce through the bridge as it contrasts a song that otherwise resides entirely in a dark ether.

Lamentations of “Unrequited Love” affirm the questions left from the prior track’s intentions with the modern hip-hop influences on the percussion and synths marking the most obviously stylized track on the album. Unique as ever, a violin weeps through the later half of the otherwise stable song.

While “Fair Chance” enjoys support from Ty Dolla $ign and Lil B, the song turns away from the more identifiable hip-hop influences for a more soul-infused ode to the late great Mac Miller. Pentatonic guitars flow freely through the track with little regard for the dark hum of synths stitching it together as the collaborators deliver a tastefully somber vocal performance detailing the intermingling of artistry and death.

While the bass-laden short groove of “Existential Dread” seeks to reassure the feelings of the previous track, it can’t help but emanate fear above all. Damp, reverberating toms give way to an eventual snare-beat that putters out as quickly as it begins.

“When the gold becomes dough and the magic starts to fade” opens the album’s closing track with an obvious departure from the instrumental clutter of the album otherwise. While the vocals are layered as ever, the track is otherwise lucid in composition giving melancholy but resolved resolution to the thematic arc of the album.

Lofted by the musings of classical guitarist Pedro Martins, the closer again pays homage to Mac in both title and lyric. And while the admissions in the track are emotionally withdrawn – the refrained “It Is What It Is” aside – the plucky guitar gives way to one last instrumental. Characterized by full and energetic percussion beneath swirling strings and, of course, impressive bass, the song is languished only by intent as the album fades to a close.