Stephen Bruner is a musician’s musician, a man whose work has spanned close to two decades and an extremely gifted bassist who continues to improve his craft.

Going under the alias Thundercat in 2011, Bruner showcased his skill with the debut album “The Golden Age of Apocalypse.” Since then, big name artists like Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino have been clamoring to work with him and capture his unique blend of jazz and electronic music.

Thundercat is known mainly for his collaborations with Flying Lotus (Steven Ellison), a renowned producer from Los Angeles and creator of the independent record label, Brainfeeder. “Cosmogramma,” released in 2010, is scattered with Bruner’s mellow vocals and signature bass progressions. His style is chaotic and messy, yet there seems to be a pattern to it, as if Bruner is completely aware of every off-note he is hitting.

Despite his abilities, Bruner goes out of his way to make sure that his songs sound as natural as possible. In an interview with Noisey, he explained this process in further detail.

“On some songs you hear me burp or fart, or my phone goes off,” Bruner said. I think it is important for people to hear imperfections, to show there is a part of it that is human still.”

“Drunk,” released this week on Brainfeeder, is Thundercat’s third full-length album. Despite its relatively short run-time of 49 minutes, the project feels longer, stringing 23 short tunes together into a dizzying, disjointed work of art. With a vintage drum machine pounding away in the background, Bruner sings his heart out, restlessly plucking at his bass guitar. Each track on “Drunk” has an old school ‘70s vibe, as if Bruner is pulling straight from the playbook of Stevie Wonder or Kenny Loggins.

In many ways, Bruner is stuck in the past. Many of his strongest influences have not had their names spoken on the radio in decades. Michael McDonald, the legendary songwriter behind The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, recently reached out to Thundercat to work with him.

“I seriously almost s*** myself,” Bruner told Rolling Stone.

It is his passion for older soul and R&B, and his drive to preserve that sound, that makes him stick out like a sore thumb in today’s music scene.

“Walk On By” sounds like something that would be played on an old record player in a barber shop. The bass wavers with tremolo and is plastered with all sorts of different effects. Not until Lamar breaks his way onto the track does the listener get brought back to the present day.

“Bus In These Streets,” the fourth song off “Drunk,” is a happy, uplifting tune with live drum playing and bell sounds. The lyrics cover modern issues, but the instrumentals do a great job of almost disguising that.

“It’s okay to disconnect sometimes,” sings Bruner, referring to this generation’s infatuation with technology and instant gratification. “We’re out here doing the most.”

The album’s most catchy song, “Them Changes,” is a wobbly, disorienting trip. Released over a year before the album came out, it still stands out as possibly one of the best tracks Thundercat has ever produced.

“Nobody move, there’s blood on the floor,” sings Bruner. “And I can’t find my heart.”

The video for the song is even better, portraying two middle-aged samurais having an emotional fight to the death. 

With no signs of slowing down, Thundercat continues to elevate himself to new heights. “Drunk” is his most ambitious project to date.