SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THUNDERCAT – DISTRACTED

THUNDERCAT
DISTRACTED
BRAINFEEDER

Six years ago, Thundercat released the critically acclaimed It Is What It Is. Since then, he has toured extensively as both a headliner and in support of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and has collaborated on tracks with Gorillaz, Mac Miller, Flying Lotus, Tame Impala, among many others, and serving as a producer for H.E.R, Denzel Curry, and six of the 14 tracks on Miller’s posthumous Balloonerism. Despite remaining a fairly constant figure since 2020, Distracted, his fifth studio album, has become highly anticipated, making Thundercat’s return all the more special.

Distracted opens with the winding melodies and arpeggios of “Candlelight,” a midtempo jazz ballad that sees Thundercat rip a series of noodley bass runs beside haunting cold synth solos and a swelling arrangement. “Candlelight” almost serves as a prelude to the tone of the album as the 2023 collaborative single with Tame Impala, “No More Lies,” propels the album forward before introducing the Miller-led “She Knows Too Much,” a funky bop of a single that merges jazzy progressions with a funky groove and organic hip-hop. Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest songs on Distracted, providing a level of range and versatility to not only the album, but Thundercat’s catalogue. To similar effect, this is seen again on “I Did This To Myself,” featuring Lil Yachty and Flying Lotus, and “Funny Friends,” featuring A$AP Rocky. While a known and regular collaborator to many rappers, this is a shade of Thundercat’s artistry rarely seen in his own work and marks a thrilling direction that should be further pursued – perhaps a collaborative album with a different MC on each track à la Santana’s Supernatural.

From the longing ballad that is “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time, to the atmospheric “Walking On The Moon,” there is much to celebrate on Thundercat’s return. Musically, Distracted stands as yet another incredibly nuanced album that highlights a heightened sense of musicality and subtly brilliant songwriting. Thundercat is a master at making complex, post-genre songs sound simple, when they are in fact quite complex, as heard on “A.D.D. Through The Roof.” Still, the album feels less cohesive, almost as though it wants to be two albums; one, a collection of downtempo, atmospheric jazz slow burners, and the other a Funkadelic-inspired take on both hip-hop and jazz in a modern context. While a level of range is demonstrated through these contrasting styles, Distracted likely would have benefited from committing more to one direction rather than providing a fairly equal mix.

By all standards, Distracted is a good record. Thundercat remains a visionary songwriter and a musician of equal virtuosic ability and taste who continues to steer alternative jazz and pop in new and exciting directions. However, the record falls within a similar sonic pallet of production of his previous works, especially It Is What It Is and Drunk: cold synths beside quiet drums and bright analogue instruments. While becoming a signature element of Thundercat’s sound, Distracted doesn’t stand out from his previous records as much as the collaborations would lead you to believe. I would absolutely love to hear a Thundercat record that reflects the energy, bombast, and improvised chaos of his live show – a live album is also long overdue – in place of the heavily refined and produced sound of Distracted. Furthermore, the absence of “Children Of The Baked Potato”, a 2025 single that reflected this idea, is notably missing from the album’s track listing. Again, this should not take away from the songwriting and musicianship behind the album; Thundercat continues to demonstrate himself as one of music’s most impressively pioneering and experimental forces necessary for keeping things interesting but perhaps Distracted doesn’t quite meet the hype of a six-year gap.

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