A former boyband member making a solo rock album is not a surprising concept. From Charlie Simpson of Busted going indie with Fightstar, to Harry Styles channelling David Bowie on his first single, a guitar is a common shortcut to credibility for those suffering from a shortage of the stuff.
But as with everything involving Kevin Abstract and his former group Brockhampton, it’s a bit more complicated than that. The diverse LA rap collective, who notoriously formed on a Kanye West fan forum and included a web designer and a photographer among their members, always seemed to be using the “boyband” term to subvert it rather than because their music had much in common with production line pop, and tired of it well before the media did.
Meanwhile Abstract, real name Ian Simpson, was operating as a solo act even before his group really got going. This is his fourth album since 2014, while Brockhampton managed a remarkable eight between 2017 and their official split this time last year.
Nor is this the first time he has put guitars on a record. On his 2016 album American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story, songs such as Seventeen, Tattoo and Papercut (the latter famous as the moment he came out as gay on record) all feature casually strummed guitars and a lo-fi, indie feel. But he was still mostly rapping back then. On Blanket he sings throughout in a semi-whispered, intimate voice.
Abstract has described the album as follows: “I wanted to make, like, a Sunny Day Real Estate, Nirvana, Modest Mouse type of record. But I wanted it to hit like a rap album.”
The song Heights, Spiders, and the Dark does have the kind of grim-faced acoustic chords and cello that recall Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged album. Earlier in the album, Running Out is a melodic highlight with pretty, energetic chords that might remind listeners of the Smashing Pumpkins favourite 1979.
The idea of Blanket hitting like a rap album is a tougher sell. The distorted electronic buzz and chopped-up screams of the song Mr Edwards has more dynamism, but it’s over in less than a minute. The track he calls Madonna has the brightest chorus, but he refrains from making the musical backing as forceful as it could be.
More commonly, as on Scream and Today I Gave Up, he sounds sad and sleepy, the style coming closer to the laidback indie feel of Mac DeMarco or Alex G. It’s not the kind of album that will launch him to solo superstardom, but it doesn’t sound like that would appeal to him anyway.
