BROCKHAMPTON, a San Marcos-based music collective, has been known for the never-ceasing impressive tracks they have been pumping out for the past two to three years, with the likes of GINGER’s predecessor, “iridescence” and the “SATURATION” trilogy. With a diverse sound that can twist and pull at almost anyone’s heartstrings, the most recent release of “GINGER” seems to pale in comparison to those that came before.
Not to undermine the lyrical talent the group possesses. If anything, their lyrics have only been improving but it is just the sheer dullness that the album oozes that has made this review so hard to write. “GINGER” is definitely a step down in the sense of energy and drive that “iridescence” had with energetic songs like “WEIGHT” which immediately come to mind.
“NO HALO,” the first taste one gets of the 12-track album, is quite a mellow and catchy sound. Reminiscing on the past and trying to focus on the future ahead, the group takes on a blunt topic. Much like their past songs, members address their struggles with mental health and substance abuse and how it has affected their creative work and craft. In the first lines of the song, Kevin Abstract starts with “I don’t know where I’m goin’ / If I gotta take the high road, I’m rollin,” which references the uncertainty that his future holds, the lines also reference his attempt to stay true to himself and keep a moral high ground, like many artists within the music industry, especially with such a unique group like BROCKHAMPTON which could very easily just become a fad in popularity, leading to a bitterness. “Wash it out of all of me to feel the fire (Maybe I’ll be gone for a minute) / But you know, you know that’s a lie (No one help me when my eyes go).” Bearface has one of the most unique voices within the song. Referencing the effects of the fame and the adrenaline or fire that comes with it, he makes it clear that these are only temporary things, much as to how the whole song encompasses the fact that this existence as well as fame is only temporary.
“BOY BYE,” a personal favorite of mine from the album, is one of the most auditorily entertaining pieces from the album. With varying contrasting sounds, the song is a good sum of all of the members of the musical trope. The song is one of the only songs from the album that features all of the artists from the group as well as producers. With a number of topics covered in the song, ranging from the group’s growing success and to each of their own battles with mental health and past traumas, the artists also go to show how they have grown past such hardships. A favorite line in the song, due to its literary reference, “Trauma the price for the patience / Character shift like an arc,” goes to speak on how a character grows and progresses through a story. This line on the other hand, goes to show just how the artist grew because of his past troubles and traumas, making him the person he is today.
“GINGER,” the title track for the fifth album, is one of the most calming and frankly melancholy songs from the album. Falling back on much of their past work and tying into motifs and themes seen in each album, “GINGER” rings true with this BROCKHAMPTON hallmark as well, featuring a verse that would have been featured in the “SATURATION” trilogy had it not been cut from the song “GEMINI.” The song overall addresses the acceptance and understanding that people have to deal with the things that are going on in their own lives, a concept that should be resonating deeply nowadays.
BROCKHAMPTON’S “GINGER” is a genuinely well-written album, but in itself lacks many of the continuous flares that keeps one wanting to listen like “iridescence” did. With exceptions like “NO HALO,” “BOY BYE,” and “GINGER,” the group displayed some redeeming qualities. Although I suggest checking it out for yourself, audiences should be prepared to add it to a studying playlist because quite frankly, I fell asleep through my first listen.
Image from BROCKHAMPTON via YouTube
