Former BROCKHAMPTON frontman Kevin Abstract has uncovered his third solo album, BLANKET, on Friday (Nov. 3) — and its sound is not what you expect.
Pivoting into dynamic alt-rock, Abstract lives up to his name by turning a new leaf on his artistry, leading in his new record (Nov. 3) with tracks in “BLANKET” (Oct. 4), “What Should I Do?” (Oct. 18), “Running Out” (Oct. 24) and “Madonna” (Nov. 1). The 27-year-old artist hasn’t dropped a solo album since ARIZONA BABY in 2019, as the new 13-track LP is a deep dive into the abstract mind of Abstract.
Seemingly warping Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends (cue the fuzzy characters that surround him in “BLANKET,” “SLEEPOVER” and “GUM”) into a horror-ish worldview, Kevin’s barely minute-long teasers are doused in raw emotion, covered in distorted electric guitars, guttural shouted ad-libs and droning Scott Pilgrim-like punk, evident on its title track.
The singer-rapper drove further into his alt-soundscape on the album’s second offering “What Should I Do?”. Strapped with traveler’s guitar melodies, Abstract’s ghostly vocals mesmerize listeners as the stripped-back track wanes on. “Don’t touch me, it turns me on / what should I do, to get my mind off of you?”, he questions on the hook, as “What Should I Do?” is not only an oft-adjacent track like Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks,” but continues to illustrate Abstract’s intentions for true genre fluidity on BLANKET.
This is further employed on his latest offering “Running Out” — catching ears with fuzzy electric guitars, spacey bells and booming drums alongside Abstract’s blink-182-esque pitched vocals. “Madonna” wasn’t just the fourth and final single ahead of the project, but perhaps the most tangible — filled with ghostly, traveler melodies made for a modern-day pop hit. “She better off in the club, dancing how she wanna / Do her thing, what she feel, smoking marijuana / spend her bands how she needs, she thinks she’s Madonna,” Kevin croons, crafting an anthem that’s sure to ring loud for generations to come.
Prior to BLANKET, BROCKHAMPTON shared their final album(s) as a band — which consisted of members in Merlyn Wood, Matt Champion, Bearface, Joba, the disgraced Ameer Van, among others throughout their near-decade run — The Family and TM late last year. Abstract’s work with Dominic Fike (“PEACH”) and Omar Apollo are also worth noting, providing a mold for Abstract to follow his foray into edgy pop.
Members like Wood have also pursued solo careers amid the break-up, as Abstract teased his second solo studio effort back in 2021 which tracks like “SIERRA NIGHTS” and “SLUGGER” with $NOT and slowthai. Since then, the Corpus Christi, Texas native has remained largely silent building out this new world.
Kevin’s revitalized creative direction is not only eye-popping, but evident of his endless quest in breaking genre norms famously describing BROCKHAMPTON as a “DIY boy band”). Bundle up as BLANKET arrives amid a changing of the seasons — fitting for Abstract’s change of sonic heart.
Enter Abstract’s new world below!
