Album Review: Thundercat - It Is What it Is

It’s been a tough three years without Thundercat’s playful, outrageously, cosmic take on R ‘n’ B to take the pain away. Not as blissfully woozy as 2017’s breakthrough Drunk, It Is What It Is features another strong set of songs, with the bouncy Black Qualls leading the way.

Regular producer Flying Lotus’ fingerprints are once again all over this album, with instantly recognisable components such as muffled bass, 2bit handclaps and all-over-the-place keys. As expected, there’s a clutch of guest spots for the likes of Childish Gambino and frequent collaborator Kamasi Washington, whose breezy solo lights up Innerstellar Love. 

Whilst Fair Chance ruminates on the tragic loss of friend Mac Miller, it’s reassuring that Thundercat will never be accused of taking himself too seriously with odes to how his Dragon Ball headwear helps him hook up together with lines like ”Let’s make love until we fall asleep” on Dragonball Durag. But the title track is something else altogether; a broken ballad with the reverb turned all the way up to “oceanic". It’s possibly the trippiest, if not loneliest, five minutes of Thundercat’s career; an oddly appropriate ending in the age of social distancing.