7/10

When the expansive hip-hop supergroup BROCKHAMPTON released their 2018 album 'IRIDESCENCE', it was met with a mixed reception over its timing. While the record was no doubt one of the best of the year, as well as easily the most proficient the group had produced since their conception, it was shrouded in controversy after they were forced to push out their key member Ameer Vann due to sexual assault allegations. But after a quick year to regroup, as well as member Kevin Abstract taking time to pursue a solo career, the outfit seem more reassured in their return as they deliver their fifth full-length 'GINGER'.

What has made BROCKHAMPTON such a refreshing hip-hop act these last few years is their reluctance to fall in line with the rest of the scene, and forever push the boundaries of what US rap should be trying to do. While they obviously take a lot of influence from the contemporary sound, each track is dripping in eclectic and eccentric ambitions that you can't help but turn your head onto it and listen more carefully from time to time. This seems to be the entire ethos behind 'GINGER'. While it doesn't quite live up to the buzz behind "IRIDESCENCE', it still manages to deliver a bold and exciting new collection of ideas that continue their legacy as hip-hop's most experimental collective.

'GINGER' has plenty of moments to really get stuck into, but feels a little more disjointed than their previous efforts. It seems that the experimental edge has gotten the better of them, so while remaining an interesting and enticing new record, it still has trouble maintaining its pace and flow, resulting in a fantastic release that just doesn't have the same focused direction as their past work.