Album Review: BROCKHAMPTON-iridescence

How you face adversity in the music industry can end up having a huge effect on the trajectory of your career as well as the legacy you leave behind. After firing unofficial co-leader of the group Ameer Vann in late May following the emergence of sexual misconduct allegations, rising star hip-hop collective BROCKHAMPTON proved with their fiery new LP iridescence that they are the type of resilient artists can persevere when a potentially massive obstacle emerges. 

While there are flourishes of their trademark tender introspection ("Weight", "Fabric", "San Marcos")  and an obligatory somber reflection on Vann's departure ("Tonya"), iridescence embraces more of an abrasive, relatively experimental sound than the bouncy pop rap style they favored throughout the bulk of last year's Saturation trilogy. This shift to a darker, less palatable style ends up bringing the best out of some of the supporting players that have just been thrust into more prominent roles. Dom McLennon and Joba, who arguably received the biggest upticks in mic time, pop off over these off-kilter industrial beats with a level of laser focus and palpable aggression that only made cameo appearances on the group's previous outings. These guys deliver the two most impassioned, attention-grabbing verses (McLennon on "New Orleans", Joba on "J'ouvert") of the entire record and pretty much steal the show every time they get an opportunity to hop on a track. Losing a member who was undeniably at the forefront of BROCKHAMPTON's remarkable ascent over the past 18 months left a huge void in their dynamic and this previously unheralded duo seamlessly stepped up to fill it and prevented the group from missing a beat creatively.

As much as there is to like and admire on iridescence, this change in direction is my no means a universal success. The early part of the record struggles to build momentum as it puzzlingly shifts between slices of pure, in-your-face hardcore hip-hop and slow, jarring tracks that utilize way too many vocal effects, and the emphasis on less traditional song structures significantly lessens the presence of the infectious earworm hooks that had arguably been the group's strongest asset up to this point in their career. However, the piece of mind that comes from receiving confirmation that the group's chemistry and genre bending ambition wasn't impacted in the wake of Vann's departure is more valuable for this group moving forward than the overall quality of this record. This ever-so-slight regression should only be temporary and with the inevitable anxiety that comes from a member change now out of the way, I can now say without hesitation that I'll be very excited to hear their next project when it drops.      

Grade: B
Standout Tracks
1.New Orleans
2.District
3.Fabric