![]() I looked at it like self-preservation: I try to stay focused and stay sane. It was so intense! I needed some sort of buffer, so I changed my number. I don’t know what to think of it.Ĭongratulations on the Grammy for “These Walls.” Did it change your life?Įverything got crazy. It’s been pretty trippy, to say the least. You’ve been getting lots of praise from the mainstream press. ![]() Between songs, he’s funny, self-deprecating, and honest, and off stage, he’s exactly the same-a just-passing-through astral traveler who’s bemused by all the attention but definitely having a good time. It’s a thrill hearing him grab fistfuls of notes while locking in with drummer Justin Brown and singing over unusual harmonic colors.Īlthough Bruner’s muscular approach guides the music as much as (if not more than) keyboardist Dennis Hamm’s sophisticated parts, a high-flying Thundercat solo is always around the corner. Live, Bruner’s vocals and stage presence are more confident than ever. The sparkling retro gems “Bus in These Streets” and “Jameel’s Space Ride” bear the mark of cowriter/Knower mastermind Louis Cole, but the album’s sweetest ear candy just might be the yacht-rock throwback “Show You the Way,” featuring Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. There are spacey songs about death (“Lava Lamp,” “Jethro”), nods to Motown (“Where I’m Going,” “3AM”), cool guest spots (Pharrell Williams on “The Turn Down” and Kendrick Lamar on “Walk On By”), fleet-fingered excursions (“Uh Oh”), complex vocal arrangements (“Inferno,” “Blackkk”), a cat fantasy (“A Fan’s Mail”), a love letter to Japan (“Tokyo”), advice for a would-be friend (“Friend Zone”), and, of course, songs about getting wasted (“Drink Dat,” “DUI,” and “Drunk”). More hi-fi than its predecessors, Drunk is concise (only one track makes it to the four-minute mark), but it packs all of Thundercat’s favorite flavors. ![]() Out of this dizzying maelstrom of activity comes Drunk, a 23-track peek into the mind of a man-child/wizard/supernerd who spends lots of time pondering relationships, anime, his friends, partying, video games, his cat, alcohol, technology, drugs, and scatalogical humor. He’s insanely busy, with no end in sight: Look for him with WOKE, a supergroup with Flying Lotus, George Clinton, and Shabazz Palaces on the soundtrack to FlyLo’s first film, the surreal Kuso and on his brother Ronald’s explosive Brainfeeder debut, Triumph. friends, including Washington, Martin, upright star Miles Mosley, and older brother Ronald Bruner Jr., were warmly praised for jumpstarting a new generation of jazz excellence. Meanwhile, Bruner’s headlining tours and growing list of sideman/co-writing credits continue to elevate his profile-with Jhené Aiko, Wiz Khalifa, Kimbra, Ty Dolla Sign, Taylor McFerrin, Mac Miller, plus appearances on Grammy-nominated albums by Childish Gambino ( Because the Internet, 2013, Glassnote/Island) and Terrace Martin ( Velvet Portraits, 2016, Ropeadope).īruner’s pivotal role on Kamasi Washington’s widely acclaimed The Epic (2015, Brainfeeder), as well as the Grammy he took home for “These Walls,” his collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, brought Bruner a new level of attention.Ĭoncurrently, he and a tight circle of L.A. They all showcase the basic elements of his sound: ’70s/’80s jazzfunk fusion, arpeggiated bass chords, distinctive harmony, bebop guitar-like solos, and vocals that set him apart from every other bass hero.
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