I’ve been sitting on this post for a really long time now—a lot longer than I should’ve been—trying to come up with a way to write about this album. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve been following BADBADNOTGOOD for a while now, seeing them start out doing mostly jazz renditions of hip-hop songs, but it’s their original material that really drew me in. When they’re given a blank canvas and aren’t pigeonholed by a song that they’re trying to cover, as loosely as that may be, these guys really shine. They have such a solid understanding of the genres—and the technical ability to back it up—that the result is unmatched. BBNG’s third album, III, exclusively featuring original tracks, was my most anticipated album of this year and it has definitely exceeded my expectations. The album was written, recorded and mixed using an analog approach, resulting in a lush, moody and epic masterpiece. With the piano and drum riff of the opening track, Triangle; Leland Whitty’s saxophone in Confessions; the UNREAL bass solo in Eyes Closed; the sophisticated atmosphere of Differently, Still and the buildup of CS60—every song has some element that resonates with me.
It’s been really great seeing the band evolve from releasing free mixtapes, to working with the likes of MF DOOM and Earl Sweatshirt, to getting signed and selling out limited edition vinyls, and I look forward to future of BADBADNOTGOOD.
Above is a live video of Hedron for The Huffington post, and below is video of Triangle, live at Low End Theory.
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