Thundercat – Apocalypse

A funky lovechild of Prince, Frank Zappa, Herbie Hancock and Flying Lotus (the latter incidentally co-produces this album), Thundercat, aka multi-instrumentalist Stephen Bruner, follows up 2011’s The Golden Age of Apocalypse with another noodly hybrid of an album.

For much of Apocalypse, Bruner propels a straightforward pop template through an experimental meat grinder of genres; his unapologetically sugary lyrics (“I just wanna party,” etc) belie a level of intricacy and craft you just won’t find in the average pop record. An elaborate wash of FlyLo-esque hip-hop dictates the beats; old-school Los Angeles disco sets the tone; rich layers of jazzy instrumentation fill it out.

Standout track Heartbreaks + Setbacks succinctly encapsulates his approach, incorporating sitars, a syncopated beat, and a swell of soulful vocals. And, bubbling throughout, an inescapable pulse of bass, played by virtuoso bassist Bruner himself. If not quite a bass odyssey, Thundercat is certainly embarking on a fair old trek. [John Nugent]