With Brockhampton at the peak of their creative powers, yet equally vulnerable and reflective at the ejection of a previous member, Ameer, last year, the release of their latest album, Ginger, last Friday got me thinking… Someone needs to honour their success. Ever the hungry soul, I took it upon myself to cook up a definitive ranking of Brockhampton’s albums, an à la carte menu inspired by Ginger, but also a few other herbs and spices along the way. It only seems right.
All American Trash – Chives
Perhaps the blandest of herbs, and often used as a garnish merely for its bright green colour, chives tend to lack the solo potential to really wow their consumer. Sure, if you shove these chives next to some egg-based products like omelettes and mayonnaise you’ve got a fancy looking bit of scran, but the flavour will always be underwhelming. In their first LP, Brockhampton showed potential to dolly up their tracks with lyrical skits, inventive beats and grade-A chemistry, but all of these now-recognisable traits still missed the mark in the album as a whole. The flare was there, but the flavour was lacking.
Saturation I – Mint
An album that remains as fresh and as hair-tinglingly exciting as when it was first released two years, Saturation I announced self-proclaimed hip-hop boy band as a force to be reckoned with. Like its allocated herb, it is an ideal herbal remedy for dissatisfied music fans who tired themselves of the group’s previously repetitive rap group tropes. At the time it was an, alternatively, bold project that defined each member’s identity with crystal clarity.
Saturation II – Oregano
Like a reserved, Italian counterpart to turmeric, Oregano is an equally versatile spice that is found in a myriad of savoury meals, including dressings, salads and sauces. As with these dishes, however, there’s a certain substance that is often missing. Saturation II is a strong sequel to its minty opener, yet many tracks lack the same intensity that was found the first time around. It’s cinematic aesthetic and spoken interludes are welcome additions that manage to fight off the second-album curse, yet without the same strength to innovate the group’s work once more.
Saturation III – Turmeric
Bright, spicy, warm, bitter and…great in curries? Like this colourful spice, Brockhampton’s final instalment in the trilogy is as versatile as it is invigorating. From the high-octane opening tracks to the grooves that populate its mid-point – not forgetting those slow burners that conclude the record – this era-defining trilogy was concluded with confidence and style settling in your stomach just like a quality takeaway.
Ginger – Ginger
Spicy by taste but reserved by nature, the ‘ginger’ like qualities that are found in the group’s latest record resonate in many similar ways to last year’s Iridescence. Both albums balance out the occasional banger with the doubly personal struggles that the group tackle together as they reach new levels of stardom. The duality of ginger is reflective of the group’s maturity which sees the band heal their wounds the only way they know possible – reflection and compassion. The aromatic autotune found in the vocals of slow jams ‘Sugar’ and ‘Victor Roberts’, prove the most healing touches to this heartfelt diary of friendship.
Iridescence – Coriander
Any Spanish foodie would have you call it cilantro, but we’re sticking to our British roots with this divisive herb. Much like this bitter and peppery little leaf, Brockhampton fans were equally perplexed by the band’s shifting sound when 808 drums were exchanged for electronic synths and nu-wave beats. For all coriander has rich health benefits, containing iron and magnesium, it can be equally dangerous and cause allergic reactions. Naturally, Brockhampton didn’t nearly pose the same health threats, but their heartfelt change of direction was just as polarising to those expecting more of the Saturation trilogy.
Listen to Brockhampton’s mixed herbs and spices on Spotify and Apple Music.
