Thundercat - It Is What It Is

Thundercat - It Is What It Is  

2017’s ‘Drunk’ was a massive hit for Thundercat, laid back soulful RnB with the ‘Cat’s silky smooth falsetto, ‘It Is What It Is’ has a lot to live up to.

The first thing to notice is that he’s paired back the amount of tracks to a more manageable 15 (Drunk had 23 tracks on it) so it isn’t overstuffed however it is still in the same jazz/RnB/soul style but sports a more eclectic palate, for example, the first two tracks have that dream-like feel to them that flowed through the previous album but then there’s a stylistic jump into a more urgent Jazz style on ‘I Love Louis Cole’ as evidenced in the rapid drums and galloping bass which then gives way to a smooth funk vibe on ‘Black Qualls’ (Also featuring Steve Arrington and Childish Gambino).

Thundercat has a tendency to mine the same keyboard sounds and riffs throughout the album which gives a sense of consistency but can lend a slightly repetitive feel at times, fortunately, he doesn’t hang around on the songs for too long for them to outstay their welcome, indeed no track crosses over the four minute mark.

The only problem is that it can sound quite ‘samey’ as even though it straddles a few different styles of music the fundamental core of the album carries the same dreamy feel and it takes a lot of work to find the other elements, that said it's a beautifully produced album and has a luxurious feel to it.

‘It Is What It Is’ is impressive in its execution and its mastery of different genres but it never really leaps out at you, it keeps to its own seductive charms, shy of the limelight, in the candlelit corner with the velvet seats, a bottle of brandy and two glasses.

#USA #Thundercat