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BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION II

Posted: 12/12/2020 by Sam Bailey ( See All) Show:
(2017) I don't know entirely where to start with BROCKHAMPTON and their prolific 2017 trilogy, but I can at least write about "SATURATION II", an incredible mixture of rap, rock, and a boy band-style outlook on both fame and music that, now more than ever, feels like a time capsule of the best parts of life. Every track title on "SATURATION II" is one word, all caps, representing the deep juxtapositions of every emotion each song aims to encapsulate in a few minutes. Kevin Abstract, the de facto leader of the band, covers hook after hook and verse after verse on the album, while Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, Ameer Vann, Dom McLennon, and Joba cover just about everything Kevin doesn't, just like any good boy band should. BROCKHAMPTON's approach to songwriting is "Divide the work and showcase", like giving Joba beautiful falsetto melodies and giving Dom the conscious, wordy verses that take a little bit of homework to understand. Each instrumental is different from the last, spanning a wide range of ideas, though each feel finished and fully thought out. Some of the best songs are in the beginning to halfway point of the album, a slight lull happening around the 3/4 mark, until "SUNNY" comes to prepare you for the cataclysmically sad end, "SUMMER". I could go on for hours about this song, but I'll shorten it to this: BROCKHAMPTON's hidden gem, Bearface, sings over a jazzy, sorrowfully reminiscent chord progression, only to be followed by the most angelic guitar solo I've ever had the pleasure of hearing, inspired by a song off of "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" by Kanye West, a great influence in the creation of BROCKHAMPTON to begin with. Much like other albums, this tape is best experienced in the company of others in a cramped car with barely any leg space, in the order the band intended. The rollercoaster of "SATURATION II" is obvious, but never rests on one part of the ride for too long. "GUMMY" starts out the album with a gorgeous, sprawling orchestral sample that suddenly cuts out and introduces the band over the course of one song alone. "TEETH" slows the formula of the classic BROCKHAMPTON banger for a more culture-conscience take by ex-member Ameer Vann. Later on in the album, "JUNKY" expands from a minimal beat and Kevin rapping to, by the end, Matt Champion almost losing his voice in defense of the women in his life. If you haven't been able to tell by now, BROCKHAMPTON only sings what they know: love, peace, and friendship, all of which are backed by deeply developed emotions that aren't there just to appeal to the "kids", no, BROCKHAMPTON is a band for the people, quite literally by the people. BROCKHAMPTON shines in its diverse lineup, influences, and music, no song or album sounding exactly alike whatsoever. BROCKHAMPTON has grown since the days of the "SATURATION" trilogy, developed into a poppy, yet dark at times boy band that has always been unafraid of the music business or what people think about them, giving their fans what they need, but not always what they may want. By the end of the album, "SUNNY" and "SUMMER" paint a picture of friends, together for now but not forever, sharing what seems to be the most emotion-filled moments of their lives at that time, culminating in the trip back to reality when Bearface's guitar fades out into silence, the end of "SUMMER", and the end of what many call the best of BROCKHAMPTON's discography. Though this may be the end of "SATURATION II", there's much to explore about the rest of the band's music, which leads me to a short proverb that I feel fits this band best: Give a man any old album, he will eat for a day, but give a man a BROCKHAMPTON album, he will eat for the rest of his life.

Recommended If You Like: Boy bands, Odd Future, diverse song structure, out of this world instrumentals

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