The creative mind of Stephen Bruner, who goes by the stage name Thundercat, balances his genius of music stylings, irony and self-reflection in his fourth studio album, “Drunk.”
A Los Angeles native, Bruner provides heavy influence in the mainstream music community today. Working with rap geniuses Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino, in addition to providing rip-roaring base lines for soul singer Erykah Badu and jazz phenom Kamasi Washington, Thundercat has quite a background in the music industry. In fact, the musician’s history goes far beyond his own work. Bruner’s father is a drummer who worked with the likes of Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, and his younger brother, Jameel, is the keyboardist for the R&B group, “The Internet.”
“Drunk” weaves the musician’s diverse history into a superb album of new age jazz, electronic beats and soulful R&B, sung by Thundercat himself. His greatest strength is in this fusion. He blends features from vocal legends Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald with the raps of Lamar and Pharrell Williams, creating a totally original combination of sound and experience.
The first track, “Rabbot Ho,” tempts the listener to travel deep into the artist’s mind with an eerie melody that feeds effortlessly into a fast-paced prelude to the album. In the second track, “Captain Stupido,” Thundercat repeats the lyrics “I feel weird” and “I think I left my wallet at the club,” stunning the listener with a fart noise and yawn at the finale. The musician gives off a vibe of nonchalant honesty that is both exciting and peculiar.
However, the odd nature of the album doesn’t stop at juvenile humor. In fact, “A Fan’s Mail (Tron Song II),” is an homage to the musician’s cat. Thundercat adds a chorus of meows behind his complicated jazz progressions as he wails, “I wish I had nine lives / I bet it feels real nice.” In another strange track entitled, “Tokyo,” he describes a trip to the Japanese capital by singing, “Gonna blow all my cash on anime,” and encountering an unplanned pregnancy along the way. These outlandish lyrics juxtapose Thundercat’s impressive melodies and makes it seem like the musician is just here to have fun.
But despite his light-hearted tone, the attentive musician contrasts his childlike humor with more mature themes as the album progresses. Thundercat discusses society’s technological obsession with lyrics such as, “Where would we be if we couldn’t tweet our thoughts?” in “Bus In These Streets.” He reflects on the dangers of alcoholism, “I’m drowning away all of the pain / Till I’m totally numb,” in the title track, “Drunk,” and fearfully looks to a future of “darker horizons ahead,” in “Inferno.”
In addition to these compelling messages, the album’s most powerful theme is apparent in Thundercat’s reflection of the pervasive nature of racism in America. “Jameel’s Space Ride,” most poignantly conveys this subject. A bright synthesizer melody creates a carefree atmosphere, but the singer’s lyrics quickly undercut this peaceful feeling as he explains that he is safe, “Except for the cops / Will they attack?” He then questions, “Would it be ‘cause I’m black?” Once again, he brilliantly utilizes juxtaposition to highlight his thoughts. With close listening, the jovial Thundercat is stripped away in these contemplative songs, and Bruner emerges. The artist gives the audience a glimpse of his soul as he grapples with the ills of modern society through his music.
“Drunk” may garner more attention than usual because of the big names it features. However, the true power of the album is found in the genius of Thundercat’s synthesis of style and contrast. He blends different types of music, humor and audience to make more than an album. Bruner creates unity in a sea of diversity and proves that accepting differences may be the most powerful instrument of all.
