Threewind Tunes Ep. 2: BROCKHAMPTON-SATURATION (2017)

There are many artists who may be referred to as contentious. Artists like The 1975, Death Grips, and Kanye West all tend to be the source of boatloads of arguments not only between outsiders, but also within their own fanbase. One of these artists I would refer to as contentious is California-by-way-of-Texas collective BROCKHAMPTON. This group is easily one of the most diverse groups the world has ever seen, both musically and quite literally. For the most part (especially more early on in their career), the boys who make up this group were the visionaries behind some of the most electrifying, exciting, and purely creative tunes in the grand scope of music itself. How did we get here? How did these group of ragtag kids from Texas become such a musical powerhouse?

The seeds were planted for BROCKHAMPTON's success much before the plant sprouted. In 2010, an individual on the KanyeLive forum (it has since switched names to become the KanyeToThe site) would post inquiring about starting a band. This individual was Ian Simpson, who would later become the de facto leader of the group. This group, for now, would be known as AliveSinceForever, and would eventually grow into BROCKHAMPTON around 2015. They would drop their first single, DIRT, would debut on Ebro Darden's radio show the same year. In 2016, the group would relocated from San Marcos, Texas, to South Central, Los Angeles, California, and drop their first official project, the mixtape All American Trash. Also, previously-mentioned de facto leader Kevin Abstract would drop his second official solo record, American Boyfriend, near the end of the year. 2017, however, would be bigger for the boys than anyone could have imagined.

BROCKHAMPTON's SATURATION is one of the most highly-acclaimed debuts of the past century, and there's a pretty good case for it to be THE best debut album in years. The album begins with HEAT, an absolutely aggressive, growl of a banger. Then it immediately transitions into GOLD, a funky, 90s-inspired slice of some of the best rhymes you could imagine courtesy of members Matt Champion and Dom McLennon (more on them later). After this it's STAR, a banger in all ways. This is where another point comes up that adds a layer to this already-amazing album. When it's said that this group is diverse, they mean DIVERSE. This can be highlighted when Kevin Abstract starts rapping on STAR. One will quickly learn by hearing his music at least a little bit that he is indeed gay. What Kevin does with it is what is important. He doesn't attempt to hide it; he puts it at the forefront of some of his rhymes without compromising making it feel stunted or awkward. So, whenever Kevin spits...

"Heath Ledger with some dreads,

I just gave my ***redacted*** head"

...it sounds like a normal bar; it feels natural. And that's what's important about it. He tells you how it is and doesn't try to push it away. This helps normalize this in rap. Think about it: how many gay male rappers do you know? Exactly. The stigma that gay male rappers are not and will not be a thing is damaging to many coming into the field. When Kevin raps, he provides a beacon of hope for anyone like him to show that you can be just like him. But Kevin isn't the only artist on this album; not even close.

I know this group is contentious, so let's start with something everyone can agree with: Matt Champion is one of the smoothest motherfuckers on this planet. From his verses on GOLD, BOYS, and FACE, among others, combined with the emotional potency on MILK, as well as his aggressive attitudes on BUMP and HEAT, display a smooth, effortless versatility that is so hard to find in the modern day. Dom McLennon serves as the lyrical mastermind behind the bulk of this project's verses. Dom dom-inates GOLD (pls laugh I am depressed), and shows out on HEAT, FACE, FAKE, and CASH. He also closes the best track on the album MILK, in which he raps the most passionate and revealing verse on the entire album. Ameer Vann, the resident "gangsta-rapper" of the group, consistently delivers some of the most hard-hitting verses and bars to be found here. HEAT, CASH, BUMP, TRIP, and BANK are examples of his true prowess with the mic. Merlyn Wood serves as the energy man of the group, plain and simple. Save for his verses on MILK and SWIM, Merlyn always brings pure raw energy to everything he touches. HEAT, GOLD, FAKE, BUMP, and CASH all show his primary use on this first album. JOBA is heard sparingly on this album, but he is able to display his raw creative energy with every second of mic time he's given. SWIM and HEAT are polar opposites in essence, with JOBA displaying a warm, pleasant hook on SWIM, and then obliterating his goddamn vocal chords on HEAT. And then there was one. The last track on the album, as opposed to the rest of the project, is a solo effort by one member who hadn't been heard yet on this album. bearface, Irish singer-songwriter, is a picture-perfect way to end this album. After an hour of alt-rap chaos, the album ends with a grungy, guitar-filled power ballad that serves as a swift gut-punch to the listener where it hits, and is easily a favorite on this project.

There are a few downsides to this project. The beginning and ending of this album serve as such amazing goal posts for the midsection that it doesn't quite live up to expectations. Specifically, BANK and 2PAC feel like wastes of potential. 2PAC sounds barren and unfinished, which shouldn't happen because it is easily the shortest song on the album. BANK, save from a really good Ameer verse, just feels kinda "eh." Some members also feel under-utilized. JOBA especially, seeing as he doesn't have the excuse of serving as an album closer and more solo-oriented artist like bearface does. Besides that, however, all members are able to have their shining moment, for the most part. Ameer and Dom, in my opinion, are the true shining stars of this album. They are given most of the mic time, and they do not waste any second of it. Standout performances from the album are: Ameer and Dom on HEAT, Dom on GOLD, Kevin on STAR, Matt and Merlyn on BUMP, Dom on FAKE, Ameer on TRIP, and the entirety of MILK and WASTE.

This album has plenty to love. I have never heard an artist or group of artists come into a debut with this much confidence and polish. This feels like a magnum-opus, and it was just a launching point for one of the music scene's shining young stars. This album is truly one of a kind, and would certainly contain something for everyone. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested, and this is easily getting a recommendation from me. Little did anyone know, things would eventually get even better for the group. And trust me, the BROCKHAMPTON fanbase would stay eating good for the rest of the year.

BEST TRACKS: HEAT, GOLD, STAR, FAKE, BUMP, MILK, WASTE

WORST TRACKS: 2PAC, BANK, SWIM

8.9/10

What should I review next? Feel free to drop your opinions on this review and any suggestions in the comments, or on our instagram profile @threewindtunes ! Thank you for reading, and see you next time!