Thundercat: Apocalypse

When Stephen Bruner released the first single, “Heartbreaks + Setbacks,” from his second album as Thundercat, the forthcoming album, “Apocalypse,” immediately became one of the most highly anticipated of the summer.

The virtuosic Bruner’s trademark has become using the bass guitar as a melodic instrument rather than a timekeeper. Nowhere was this more apparent and successful than on “Heartbreaks.” The constant riffing of multiple bass lines complements Bruner’s ethereal vocal melody delightfully. The song also features the futuristic synth sounds characteristic of Flying Lotus, who co-wrote the song and co-produced the album with Bruner for his Brainfeeder label.

The second single released was “Oh Sheit It’s X,” a hilarious homage to ecstasy. The song features a heavy, four-on-the-floor throwback disco groove. It’s much more fun and musically interesting than Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” another throwback jam that is somehow much more successful than Bruner’s track.

But alas, the strength of those two tracks, two of the strongest Bruner has released, was not enough to carry the whole album. “Apocalypse” barely reaches the 40 minute mark. It features too much filler and not enough of the fun, groovy jams of its two singles. Most of the album sounds like a Flying Lotus album with a little more bass riffage.

That’s not to say all tracks are failures, though. Opener “Tenfold” serves as a great introduction to the album, with a space-age groove and wispy production. “Lotus and the Jondy,” a shoutout to FlyLo and the late Brainfeeder pianist Austin Peralta, features an infectious hook, but it also features a bombastic, virtuosic drum solo, and will please both jazz and pop fans alike.

“Apocalypse” is not enough of an improvement from Bruner’s 2011 album, “The Golden Age of Apocalypse,” and doesn’t live up to the standard of its two singles. It doesn’t have enough substance to balance out its heavy style. But if Bruner can produce an album full of tracks that succeed as well as “Heartbreaks + Setbacks,” he ought to hit the jackpot sometime in the future.