Review: Brockhampton — Iridescence

★★★★

“Iridescence” is hip-hop/self-professed “boyband,” Brockhampton’s fourth studio album. This is the group’s first release without former member Ameer Vann, who can be seen as the cover art for Saturation I, II and III.

“Iridenscence” began as a slow build centered around a lot of melodies, especially as the album kicks off with “New Orleans” featuring Jaden Smith and the second track “Thug life.”

The album turned in angles I didn’t expect, like on “New Orleans.” This track has one of my favorite beats and hooks on the whole entire album. Jaden Smith fits well on this track and makes it sound like he was actually a member of Brockhampton.

“Thug Life” was a surprising track that had a lot of singing and airy sounds from the production. The topic was about dealing with yourself and fighting suicide. The reason this track was surprising is that it reflects similar song structures that you might see from a traditional hip-hop artist, while the musical moves Brockhampton makes usually feels experimental.

Other tracks I like on Iridescence are “J’ouvert,” “Vivide,” “Tape,” “Tonya,” “Fabric.” These tracks bring out the most energy from that album and have the most replay value for me. What I like about these specific tracks is the production, cadences that the artist decided to use, hooks, and topics the artist decided to use as the backbone of the album.

On the song “J’ouvert,” the cadences and delivery from the artists brought out the energy from Brockhampton that gets me hyped about their tracks. The production on “J’ouvert” helps bring out a serious tone.

“Vivid” is another track that brought a lot of energy. Hearing the track, I imagine the beat getting made on an MPC. What I like about this track is how it sounds as if there is a lot of sample chopping in the production but I can’t really tell if there is or not.

The way is “Tape” structured makes it definitely one of my top three favorite tracks on the album. The verse from each artist on the track seems as though it belongs and isn’t overdone. I think of “Tape” as one of the more insightful songs on this album and has a significant amount of replay value.

“Tonya,” the second to last track on this album, sets up an exit for the album. This track does this in away by winding down its audience. This track is my favorite song on the album. The reason why this song is my favorite is due to the melodies, lyrics and hooks that all seem to fit the feeling I get when listening to the beat. After the track “Tonya” is finished, “Fabric” follows up, carrying the same mood.

“Fabric” is my second favorite track on this album because I get a gruesome vibe although it is a subtle track. The mix of the lyrics and the different effects to the vocals creates a spooky but calming vibe for me. Overall, this track brings the album to a great conclusion.

My overall review of “Iridescence” by Brockhampton would be a strong 4 out of 5 because I like the experience the artist took me through. This was album was surprisingly entertaining for me. I recommend listeners to give this album a stream.

Jalil Robinson can be reached at ae.spectator@gmail.com.

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