Brockhampton are back with their fifth studio album Ginger. Photo / Supplied.
Brockhampton are back with their fifth studio album Ginger. Photo / Supplied.
America's favourite boy band, Brockhampton, are back with a startlingly impressive yet haphazardly diverse new album, Ginger.
After culling perhaps their best rapper and co-founding member, Ameer Vann, in May following accusations of sexual harassment, the Texas-formed Los Angeles-based hip-hop collective took a six-month hiatus before reassembling to carve outtheir fifth studio album.
The result is 12 tracks that encompass a stunning range of moods and themes, while employing an eclectic range of beats, instrumentation and vocal deliveries.
Lyrically, there are gentle and beautiful moments, others that channel a jaded Billie Eilish-style delivery, along with more up-tempo and aggressive sections that border on menacing.
The opening trifecta of radio-ready hits No Halo, Sugar and Boy Bye gets things going, with the latter track featuring a killer hook and sections of rapid-fire lyrical delivery from every member.
Auto-tuned melodies are scattered throughout particularly on Sugar and the album's title track but dig deeper and Ginger reveals multiple layers of songwriting and production styles.
The group has openly credited actor/performance artist Shia LaBeouf as the inspiration behind the album and that's not surprising, as Ginger is difficult to define.
At times the variety of sounds and voices threatens to derail things but the album manages to stay on track, yet you wonder whether such an ambitiously collaborative approach can be sustained long-term.
But with tumultuous times behind them, Ginger showcases the myriad directions in which the group could go and ultimately reassures fans that Brockhampton are here to stay.
Brockhampton, Ginger
Label: Question Everything / RCA
Verdict:Brilliantly chaotic, Ginger showcases a group hitting their stride and owning their place as one of hip-hop's more diverse acts.
