Rob’s Album Of The Week: Thundercat’s It Is What It Is

A musician making a shift in styles isn’t anything new, but the extremity of the shift can be very intriguing. For example, imagine going from being the bassist for one of the most legendary thrash metal bands around to starting your own funk-jazz R&B project. That’s what Stephen Bruner, known as Thundercat, did after being in Suicidal Tendencies for nine years and pursuing his own solo material in the early 2010s. Going solo has seen him collaborate with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, The Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Wiz Khalifa and Pharrell. His fourth album, It Is What It Is, that came out on April 3 via Flying Lotus’ label Brainfeeder shows an extension of artistic boundaries while diving into new collaborations.

An underlying quality of Thundercat’s music is how he can bring intensity in his own way. There aren’t any guitars involved for the most part so the ears don’t get bombarded with riffs. Instead, the ears experience high levels of rhythm to go along with smooth bass lines and a soulful voice. As a person who can’t stand music with soft tones, adding different elements such as electronic and psychedelic vibes converts me. There’s also a bit of absurdity within the lyrics that make for some comical love songs.

If you’ve been paying attention to this weekly review column for a year and a 1/2 now…