In case you forgot, or take nothing else away from the musical nuance of It Is What It Is, Thundercat is a master of all things funky, a king of musical innovation, an absolute guru of the groove, and he will eat your bass for breakfast.
It Is What It Is manifests as a beautiful ebb and flow of emotional states, philosophical musings and plain old comedy.
It Is What It Is takes the versatility beyond music, as Thundercat becomes a philosopher, therapist, lover, guide, and friend.
From funk struts to tender touches, Thundercat's ascension continues rapidly here.
It Is What It Is isn’t so much a showcase for the bass, though. Instead, it functions more as a modern-day love letter to a certain bandwidth of the R&B spectrum that we would all do well to rediscover.
On It Is What It Is, Stephen Bruner’s eccentric hyperactivity is on full display, bouncing from jittery bass chops to fat West Coast funk. He balances the spacey jazz fusion of his early records with the signature neo-yacht rock perfected on Drunk.
It Is What It Is is electric with wonderful performances from some of the most talented people in music today. While it’s heady and consistently interesting, there is so much here in its relatively fast paced 40 minutes for every type of music fan to fall in love with.
Thundercat continues to alchemize his inimitable style as a honeyed singer, whipsmart producer, and lithe bassist.
The jazz-fusion bassline don reins in the funk to honour his fallen friend, though also lets loose with the likes of Childish Gambino by his side.
It Is What It Is sparkles with inventive songwriting, chunky production and pervasive good vibes, a worthwhile addition to any R&B or jazz fan’s collection.
It Is What It Is feels understated, but more powerful for this restraint.
This might be a shorter and more svelte set than Drunk, but it’s the best inventory of Thundercat’s bohemian artistry.
Three years after his 2017 opus Drunk, Bruner returns with more fleet-fingered jams and abstracted musings, this time a little more unpolished.
We’re left with the knowledge that beneath his larger-than-life persona, Thundercat has a giant heart, and It Is What It Is is the best display of his enormous empathy yet, even if it does have a few unnecessary goofs along the way.
It Is What It Is is overall a more cohesive LP than Drunk, while still showcasing Thundercat’s virtuosic talent on bass, and his maturing song-writing.
Thundercat's muddy mixes remain his Achilles' heel on the otherwise enjoyable It Is What It Is.
#2 | / | Passion of the Weiss |
#3 | / | Noisey |
#3 | / | Okayplayer |
#4 | / | Los Angeles Times |
#5 | / | Uncut |
#8 | / | Vulture |
#10 | / | The A.V. Club |
#12 | / | Exclaim! |
#12 | / | PopMatters |
#13 | / | Riff Magazine |