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Thundercat’s wonderfully wonky R&B, funk, jazz and soul fusions have proven fruitful for his place within the modern muso pantheon. He began as an angular prodigy, elasticising his bass guitar until it was occasionally unrecognisable as the instrument it is. He continued on in much the same way, blessing the credits of many a revered record in-between personal album drops that were much of a muchness by Cat’s cheeky standards. Rarely was he the sort to overstate himself, but by that same token, he struggled to extend his albums beyond the passable lounge grooves and general atmosphere you were greeted with at the front door. The further into the party you went, the more you realised that this was a reserved function, where getting second-hand high and nodding off to Jaco Pistorius’ solo material was a rite of passage. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Bottom line is: the songs themselves needed direction. Ironically enough, Thundercat finds that sense of focus on his latest album titled… ‘Distracted’.
The bolder shapes in his playing, coupled with supporting instrumentation that actually feels warmed up, gesture at a new chapter for Thundercat. He makes the intriguing choice to include a couple of older singles into the mix, namely “No More Lies” featuring Tame Impala, and “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time”. Perhaps this choice alludes to this larger feeling of being too distracted with current life to conjure up fresher material. It doesn’t damage the album’s quality at all, just to be clear. In fact, these singles click into place perfectly. Maybe Thundercat has had this album in the works since his last release, and thus he has paused and restarted on the rollout so regularly that it gives off the illusion that he’s randomly reaching into the vault. Again, it doesn’t factor into any enjoyment of the album, as this thing’s flow is genuinely seamless. When it bangs, it’s a stanky blend of P-funk filth and superbly tangy jazz harmony. “I Did This To Myself” being a shining example, with a hilarious Lil Yachty feature to boot. When the album kicks into cruise control and lays on the soul, it’s like a time machine effect. The soaring “What Is Left To Say” drafts vintage pop players The Lemon Twigs in order to capture this phenomenon.
When the album fast forwards, it still functions as a really tasteful balancing act between Thundercat’s acoustic wolf and his electronic wolf. The aforementioned “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time” coasts on a looping bed of plush programmed percussion, keys and synths. The singular progression across the track can serve as a mirror to Thundercat’s state of constant examination and regret. Effective, even if there is a lack of movement in its structure. Likewise, a track like “This Thing We Call Love” locks into its immediate, sensual hip-house and lets Channel Tres and Thundercat trade sparse vocal contributions. Despite its lack of wider movement, its deep grooves and minimal lyrical content invokes two romantic partners letting an intimate moment between them speak for itself. I will reiterate again, that for an album titled ‘Distracted’, Thundercat has probably unintentionally pulled off a real moment of dramatic irony. As this set of songs proves that he very much still has gas burning away in the tank. For all of the overwhelmed feelings he’s clearly trying to communicate lyrically, musically he and his collaborators are on point. Far from scatter-brained, this is his most immediate and pronounced set of songs in his catalogue so far.
Dan Will Review 