Continuing the meteoric rise started in 2017 with their
Saturation
trilogy, California boy band crew
Brockhampton
returned with chart-topping fourth effort
Iridescence
. Less playful and more focused,
is a declarative moment for the group, delivering on the steadily evolving promise of the
series with thoughtful introspection and their typically genre-blurring sound fusion. Incorporating soulful R&B reflections, raucous hip-hop energy, grime grit, and aggressive electronic production, the set bursts with ideas. Indeed, the album can be overwhelming with its wild creativity and loose construction that has no clear narrative, but keeps heads spinning long enough to distract from the lack of cohesion. Their first without
Ameer Vann
,
showcases group members
Merlyn
(who steals the show on every track he touches), the smooth-voiced
bearface
, and
Joba
, who drops a few frenzied scene-stealers himself. Meanwhile, production by
Romil Hemnani
Jabari
continues to improve, heard in inspired touches like the persistent mosquito-buzz on "New Orleans" and the frantic breakbeat of the confessional "Weight." Elsewhere, "District" stomps as strings swell, "Tape" skitters along a contemplative
Radiohead
sample, and "Where the Cash At" wobbles its way through the hypnotic haze. On an album of standouts, the latter half is home to many highlights, from the lead single "J'ouvert" to the uplifting "San Marcos," an ode to their roots that rides the mantra "I want more out of life than this" atop the angelic
London Gospel Choir
and a sweeping orchestra. Very much a product of their time,
absorbs what they need from across genres, sharing honest confessions from their varied personal backgrounds (the most striking provided by group leader
Kevin Abstract
) and reflecting its mixed audience as a voice of their generation.
have seized upon this defining moment with
, a defining peak in their young career. ~ Neil Z. Yeung