Human noise could be really bad to live with but when it mixes with instrument noise it becomes a no go area for anybody. A band that is made up fourteen persons who want to be heard by all means possible would always make great sounds that conflict in a nice way; that is what this album entails. This album lacks ordinary harmony and unity. It is disjointed both in production and in vocals hence going against the rule of popular music. Even the theme of the album is not really straight and that is not cool because it throws new fans into confusion. If any song on this album is played on the radio, I can bet that the listener will switch to the next station. It will be so because one minute, he or she is thinking that the sound is great but when she or she relaxes to listen to the song; it changes rhythmically. Albums like this only make it to top of the billboard because of the individual fan base of the artist who are in the band and the record label they are signed to. I believe the pursuance for creativity canceled the golden principle of simplicity in the hearts of the Brockhampton band. It led them to making an album that will be swept under the carpet by fans and people who listen to them because there are a whole lot of song from other group with lesser confusion.
One other flaw of this album is the fact that this album has poor arrangement of playlist. This is because the songs which have the most disjointed lyrics and beats were put first. This is bad because for first time listeners of this job will be discouraged after listening to the first five tracks. The last three songs on the album were also disjointed but the progression was good and a lay man could steadily follow the beat and the message in the songs. They should have placed those songs in the first five songs in the album to allow it keep people listening to it. They actually forgot they are making music for the ordinary persons and not for just co-musicians and pundits like me. People need simplicity in their music because when it is too complicated, it becomes noise and when it becomes noise, it loses value and becomes trash. However this album was titled iridescence which means a multicolored rainbow like image made by refraction of light when it hits some medium. For example when water touches oil or when a bubble is made in a soapy water and sunlight shines on it. There is always a conflict of color when iridescence happen and that is what this album is all about. This album is a conflict of sounds and messages.
THE THEME
The musician talk relatively of anything and everything. They talk of struggles they had to go through before making a breakthrough in music. This was discussed in the song “New Orleans”. In the song “Berlin” they talk about breaking off the relationship they were in to pursue their dreams. “Something about him”, had them talking about a lady loving a cute guy who she wants to be with. They go on to talk about money and some other topics such as depression, working hard to make their music. They talk about criticism and how they deal with them. They talk about missing the quiet life they hard before the fame and fortune came their way. Songs like “Tape” and “District” discusses the above named issues in details while songs like “San Marcos” talks about partying, having fun and making the most of the moment.
The production of the beats of this album can be summed in three word and that is: “Exploited hiphop beats”. This is because it has the use of Hiphop boom bass and Techno sound. This is found in the first song on the album. There is also the presence of some RnB beats with some blend of country music vibes to it as heard in the ending part of the song “San Marcos”. In the song “Tonya” the song is introduced with some of the sweetest grand piano you would have head in long time. In “Thug Life”, the two minute three seconds song has a soul beat with some Rap vocals.
The Vocals of this album is also disjointed with different approach to it. There is the normal gangstar rap and steady rhyming in it. They also add some singing vocals in it but in general has a funny blend that can throw a listener off in the first few songs.
POSSIBLE HITS AND FLAWS
“Tape” and “Fabric” are number one songs that have real potential to become hits. This is because they have wonderful progression from rap solo to chorus. they have definite message of hustle and trouble in hard times. Other songs that joins it are “San Marcos”, “Weight” and “Tonya”. This is because of the way the beats of these song are produced and the reduced use of disjointed lyrical fusion.
“Thug life” and “Honey” are just songs that may be played and enjoyed but could sound boring when listened to over a period of time. “New Orleans”, “Berlin” and “District” are possible flops because apart from true Brockhampton fans; general rap or music lovers may find them boring. One can easily get lost when listening to them because there is a miss of disjointed beat and disjointed lyrics.
