sillybronco's THANKFUL 4 THA SLO LIFE deftly combines West Coast rap with effortless, tongue-in-cheek swagger.
Reviewed by Ash
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please support sillybronco by streaming this project! As of now, the project is currently Soundcloud-exclusive, but I will update this announcement with links to it on streaming services once it is live. For now, the Soundcloud link is here.
UPDATE: The project has now appeared on major streaming platforms! Here are the links to the EP on Spotify and Apple Music.
DURING THE OCTOBER 19TH Collegium listening session, we were treated to an early preview of an upcoming sillybronco track, titled "PEACE". Mr. Bronco himself, known to other MTech students as Jackson Barada, hilariously described the track as "based music", which elicited some laughs from the crowd, myself included. He was, however, unfortunately subject to the same speaker issues that have plagued the Collegium listening sessions this semester, resulting in the track's mix being utterly engulfed by an 808 bass that the speakers made sound buzzy and distorted. What I was able to actually hear sounded great, though, and when Jackson announced that the full album was due for imminent release, I kept an eye out for it, eager to take it home and listen to it on quality speakers.
At a very tight seven tracks in length, THANKFUL 4 THA SLO LIFE is an EP loaded front to back with bass-heavy trap bangers, featuring sample-based hip hop production that fuses influences from West Coast, Detroit, and Southern hip hop into a neat, energetic package. sillybronco's laconic, formant-shifted delivery and simplistic, confident flow anchors the tracklist, cementing the EP as a fun listen meant to soundtrack parties and good times all around campus.
The EP opens with "MAKE IT MAKE SENSE", featuring a bass-heavy West Coast beat under a reverb and delay-heavy R&B sample. The production reminds me pretty strongly of Southern California hip hop, specifically artists such as YG and Blueface; the flickering hi-hats and uptempo groove give this track a distinctly West Coast feel. sillybronco gives us pitched-up rap verses with a confident delivery (his formant-shifted "oouh" makes for a dead-on Lil Pump impression, which I got a kick out of).
"PAID FREESTYLE" features a woozy flute melody and warped R&B vocals over simple two-step hi-hats and trap drums as sillybronco spits laid-back flows with an effortless swagger. The production is reminiscent of Metro Boomin for me, owing to its distinctly druggy and sedated atmosphere. The following "A-TRAIN" brings a significantly brighter sound, as an energetic '90s R&B vocal sample blends with uptempo trap drums for an overall vibe that sounds more indebted to Drake, Jack Harlow, and J Cole. sillybronco's laconic delivery brings a really nice contrast with this choice of sample, and I really love the production on this track; the vocal chops are used really nicely and create an infectiously energetic and bouncy vibe that sillybronco's quick-footed flows work with very well, making this track one of my favorites on the record. I just really wish it was longer; this beat is so good that I would have loved to hear a second verse and another chorus.
Getting to hear "PEACE" on my own audio setup really brought into focus the hollow, cavernous pad chords, sine leads, and heavy West Coast 808s that make up this decidedly psychedelic and dark-tempered instrumental. The synth work is really nice on this track and the drums have a simple groove that is nonetheless multilayered and catchy. The reversed drum breakdown halfway through is also a really nice touch. I catch some Drakeo the Ruler and ASM Bopster vibes from this track as the dark and watery production points to some more underground influences.
"MATRIX" boasts another '90s R&B sample with bright electric keyboards, buoyed by Southern hip hop drums loosely reminiscent of something Big K.R.I.T might have done. As usual, sillybronco brings a loose, laid-back flow that works quite well over this steady, driving beat. Zgeds's guest verse is pretty short, but it was nonetheless nice to hear a different voice for a bit, and the verse itself was nicely performed. The mixing does seem to suffer a little on this track, though. The 808 bass is super loud and seems to swallow everything else in the mix, and we get some strange clipping artifacts as a result. sillybronco's bass-heavy sound is generally an aspect of his music that I enjoy very much, but I think it's just a little too extreme here.
Major key seventh chords rendered through synth strings and watery arps over heavy bass form the instrumental to "ORCHESTRA". The vibes of this instrumental are pretty lighthearted and bright, which helps it stand out amidst the mostly dark-leaning soundscape of this EP. However, we get a complete vibe switch with the last track, as "TOP FLOOR VIEW" closes out the project with powerful '90s R&B vocals under ticking, Don Toliver-esque percussion. The 808 work on this track goes absolutely crazy; the bass hits these really nice subdivided patterns a lot, which helps serve as a consistent, recurring bit of ear candy on which the listener can fixate. sillybronco also gives us a brief peek at his natural voice for the first time on the whole project! I thought the choice to wait through the entire EP before showing us his natural voice was a really great creative decision to build anticipation and intrigue on part of the listener, and the results weren't disappointing. He gives us a simple refrain and regretful lyrics through a textured, slightly rough vocal timbre and a detached delivery that makes this a great closing track.
My overall thoughts on THANKFUL 4 THA SLO LIFE are generally positive. I guess my chief gripe with the EP is its length, or rather, lack thereof. Most of the tracks here only have two choruses and one verse, which means we only get a fleeting taste of each musical idea; the result is my feeling like I went swimming and only got to dip my right foot in the water before the pool closed for the night. I wish a lot of these tracks had been extended out to include more verses, maybe incorporating some guest artists along the way. Additionally, every track (with the exception of "TOP FLOOR VIEW") ends with a slowed-down breakdown where we get to hear the chorus again, played back at a slower tempo. I thought this was really cool the first time it happened on the opening track, but it grew a bit old for me, and I found myself wishing that the already-short runtime of this EP had been spent on more performances from sillybronco rather than these slowed-down breakdowns. Nonetheless, sillybronco shows a lot of promise with this project. His consistently great sample choices anchor the production on this record, gluing the whole thing together with a distinct sound that contains tasteful nods to R&B. It's also clear that he has an innate feel for drums, as the straightforward trap & hip hop drum patterns on this record are all great and serve as the perfect vehicle to propel the sample-based instrumentals forward. While sillybronco is no lyrical miracle individual, his confidence and braggadocio combine with nimble and breezy flows to create a stage persona of total, unapologetic swagger, which is an aspect of this EP that I thought he absolutely nailed. Bronco floats on these beats with effortless ease, and the whole project oozes the infectious energy of a damn good time. I hope we hear more from sillybronco soon, preferably with some longer songs and guest verses thrown into the mix. His strengths shine brightly on THANKFUL 4 THA SLO LIFE, making this a project that truly deserves the moniker bestowed upon it in Collegium that day—"based music".
Personal enjoyment score: 7 out of 10
Standout tracks: "A-TRAIN", "PEACE", "TOP FLOOR VIEW"
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