'BUBBA' - Kaytranada: Album Review

The three-and-a-half-year wait for Kaytranada’s sophomore album was a painful one. Barring a couple singles, edits, and production features here and there, we haven’t heard much from Kaytra since his debut album 99.9%. The project was a favourite with long-time listeners, new fans, and critics worldwide. Filled with classics, 99.9% ranged from upbeat rap in ‘Glowed Up’ to bass-heavy R&B tracks like ‘Vivid Dreams’ and ‘You’re The One’, with a few dance numbers and instrumentals in between. Kaytranada dabbled in a little bit of everything. As the majority of his songs include a guest feature, he would use his production talent to somewhat cater to the collaborator and find a midpoint between them, resulting in an extremely diverse sound that pushed the boundary of electronic music.

This year’s follow-up, BUBBA, does the opposite. Instead of making a song to fit the guest, he makes his collaborator come out of their comfort zone and typical style to make something outside of their usual sound. On 99.9%, the collaborations are as you would expect them. Syd sings on a dance-y R&B song. BADBADNOTGOOD jam on a synth-heavy instrumental track. Vic Mensa raps over hard-hitting 808s. These are the types of songs you expect to hear when you see these names as a feature. BUBBA aims to shatter the listener’s preconceptions about the artists on the album by showcasing talents most did not know they had. We hear this almost immediately on ‘Go DJ’ and ‘Gray Area’, featuring SiR and Mick Jenkins respectively. SiR is renowned for his smooth, laid back singing voice but here he is seen spitting bars while Kaytranada keeps him on track as the DJ. Likewise, Mick Jenkins, instead of rapping in his often-heard deep voice, employs a much wider vocal and harmonic range over a dance beat that he absolutely nails. It’s not the first time Mick has used his voice like this, but it is one of the most memorable vocal performances I can remember from him.

It wouldn’t be a Kaytranada project without an introductory instrumental that sets the tone for the album. His 2013 EP Kaytra to Do had the trap-heavy ‘Killacats’, whilst 99.9% used heavy and prominent basslines on ‘TRACK UNO’. BUBBA is no different. The opener ‘DO IT’ employs a Brazilian breakbeat sample and throughout the album has drums reminiscent of the funk and disco era mixed with the sullen chords and soft vocals Kaytranada is known for. This is the area that Kaytranada honed in on; a pace slightly slow for house but faster than R&B, with drums to dance to that have an almost melancholy feel. Some might say that this is the sound which originally elevated Kaytranada into the spotlight with his remix of Teedra Moses’ ‘Be Your Girl’, and the pair reunite on BUBBA to continue down this path. While I often find it annoying when artists refuse to develop their sound and stick to the same formula, ‘Culture’ uses a lot of the same techniques as ‘Be Your Girl’ whilst also showing how far Kaytranada has come since its predecessor and thus emphasises his progress. He is still using four-to-the-floor drums and a similar timbre of synthesiser, yet ‘Culture’ successfully bridges the gap between Kaytranada’s disco and funk influence with his own unique blend of dance music and R&B in a way we don’t hear on ‘Be Your Girl’. It shows how far Kaytranada has come in the last few years. He is no longer just a beat-maker and remixer, but a highly intelligent songwriter and producer that understands the roots of his work and as a result is revolutionising urban contemporary music.

Structurally, there are a lot of interesting things on this album. Kaytranada is a well-renowned DJ and BUBBA runs like a set. Although there are no mixes between songs, most songs begin and end in a way that compliments the tracks either side of it. For example, although ‘Need It’ and ‘Taste’ do not have the same drum break, they are roughly the same tempo and style that allows one to flow easily into the next. This is a common theme that is heard throughout the album, immersing the listener as the track changes become less and less obvious. Another structural technique Kaytranada employs is his use of instrumentals. As well as setting the tone of the album with an introductory beat, Kaytranada also uses them as interludes and to break up sections of the album and remind people that this is an album from the man behind the production and not one of the vocalists. Some of them carry a different rationale to others; ‘Puff Lah’ is reminiscent of a ‘we’ll be right back’ TV message, whilst ‘Scared To Death’ is more a showcase of Kaytranada’s ability to develop songs and his skill as a producer. What they share is that they give the listener room to breathe. Having a different vocalist come in for every song, trying to implement their own stamp on it, can become overwhelming if it goes on for too long as it feels like more of a collection of songs rather than an album. Breaking the album up with these instrumentals gives the listener a chance to reset, whilst also giving Kaytranada a chance to solo and showcase his talents as the unheard voice behind the instrumentals.

Looking towards the future, this album gives Kaytranada a lot to think about. He has developed his style by catering less to his vocal guests and making them come out of their comfort zones. The experiment paid off on a lot of songs, particularly the Kali Uchis-featured ‘10%’, bringing the best out of the Colombian singer and, as a result, making a claim for top three all-time Kaytranada songs. However, the song ‘Need It’, with Masego, was not the best work in either of the pair’s careers and ‘Freefall’ featuring Durand Bernarr really lacked the standard set from the rest of the album. Kaytranada sits in a unique position in which he has developed a synthesised sound and style synonymous with his name and has used it on most songs on his projects. Whilst it is a good way of putting his stamp on the production, there may be a time where this timbre becomes played out. He has done a good job of developing his sound from his debut to his sophomore album without compromising his identity, but it will be interesting to see where this leads to in the future and if it will require another three-and-a-half-year wait.

8/10