Who is the super cool bassist with 18 toes and plays the funkiest basslines – you know it, it’s Thundercat. Now releasing his third solo album, Stephen Bruner (aka Thundercat) has risen to the top as one of the most forward thinking jazz fusion bassists to date. Having had a minor hit in Germany at the age of 15, Bruner was part of thrash metal band Suicidal Tendencies, playing as a session musician alongside his band duties. This led him to working with the legend that is Erykah Badu, modern hip-hop royalty such as Childish Gambino, Mac Miller and Kendrick Lemar, experimental beat extraordinaire Flying Lotus, as well as the mighty Kamasi Washington on his sensational The Epic LP. Quite the CV, and one that has made his latest record, Drunk, one of the most eagerly anticipated albums to be released in 2017.

The first thing you will notice about Drunk is its striking artwork, a surreal photo taken by Eddle Alcazar that leads you think that everything is not quite as it seems. And you are not wrong – it is a drunk meander through unconventional melodies and abstract effects that match the sometimes hilarious, sometimes dark and sometimes serious musical journey. For instance, in the first three songs you have the chorus: “I feel weird / Comb your beard, brush your teeth / …. / I think I left my water at the club”, as well as the sounds of snoring and a fart, a blistering bass solo which showcases the phenomenal virtuosity of Thundercat, and then one of the singles which has got everyone so excited for the album in ‘Bus In These Streets’. Its twinkling poppy tune and airy vocal harmonies is a dreamy insight into the innovative mind of Thundercat. More of this humorous attitude comes out in the next tune ‘A Fan’s Mail (Tron Song Suite II)’, not only in its name, but the super slick groove features meows from the Thundercat as well as the lyrics: “Everyone wants to be a cat”.

The running theme of the album fits into jazz, however, Drunk doesn’t holds itself to just one genre. A song like ‘Day & Night’ has a quiet disco beat for its 38 second duration, yet next track ‘Show You The Way’ has a smooth soul sound. The latter being one of stand-out tracks of the album, which not only features five time Grammy Award winning Doobie Brother Michael McDonald but mister Danger Zone himself, Kenny Loggins – a bizarre collaboration that no one would have guessed, yet sounds so great. The impressive feature list doesn’t end there, with Kendrick Lemar, Wiz Khalifa, Kamasi Washington, Flying Lotus and Pharrell all adding their incredible musical prowess to an album already shrouded in quality.

Overall, Drunk comes across as though you’re drunk – flying past without you really realising, remembering the odd track that stays in the memory but, for most of it, it merges into one jaded memory where you’re not really sure if it is good or bad. Having 23 tracks doesn’t help its case, as too many of the one minute or two and a half minute tracks never really develop into anything, but act more as interludes to keep you grooving till the next funky jam. Funky jams are aplenty thankfully – the spacey ‘Friend Zone’, the bubbling bass in ‘Them Changes’ and the silky sounds of ‘Inferno’ all acting as sonic salvation on an album that’s explorative nature could have been its biggest downfall.

Iain Lauder

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