_{By Bryce Thacker}

If you’re not familiar with Bad Luck Brigade yet, then you should know they’re quite an interesting group. They have a pretty firmly established style at this point that defies easy categorization. The quintet has pioneered their own unique subgenre in the hip-hop space they like to call “shroom bap”: A blend of many different interests and genres such as r&b, jazz, funk, rock, and even some electronic elements here and there. But the best part is it’s all wrapped up in a chill lofi-esque rap bow. Their latest album SOMETHING’S AT MY NECK feels like it really doubles down on that sound they’ve come to be known for. It’s their third release on streaming, and it’s their most polished and cohesive piece yet.

It feels like there’s a stronger focus on instrumentals here than in their past works. Don’t get me wrong, every BLB track is backed by a very strong instrumental — it’s personally my favorite part of the group. But on SOMETHING’S AT MY NECK, the instrumentals really feel like they take a step forward, being a larger element in the overall work.

Two tracks, specifically the intro track “HERE TAKE THIS” and the fourth track “RESPECT MY GRIP” are almost entirely instrumental with quick 30-second verses at the end. They really take their time to build a comprehensive instrumental. Every element feels perfectly positioned, and it’s mixed quite well. To me, it just feels like they really got it figured out on this one.

The lyrical content on this album shares some similarities to previous works — things like drug use, rebellion, and creative identity — but there are a few moments here that show a lot of love to the different cultures that Bad Luck Brigade takes after. In August of last year, Joe Vickrey of Provo Music Magazine interviewed the group, and he asked a question I’d like to bring up here. He asked the guys if there was any specific story behind a lyric from the second to last track “WHY?!?”:

Well I woke up late, I’m running tardy. I was acting a fool last week at Kilby Block.

Rapper Kilow explained that a lot of rappers are referential to the culture that they come from, and being from an area that doesn’t have a lot of hip-hop culture he wanted to mention the Utah indie scene. I myself am a huge fan of both hip-hop and the indie scene here in Utah, so I love seeing that kind of recognition of both sides. It’s a pretty small moment, but I feel it strongly represents the group’s appreciation of their surroundings and their influences.

My only problem with Bad Luck Brigade’s work thus far is that I always find myself wishing that their projects were just a tad bit longer. I feel like with this one I’ve finally gotten that. SOMETHING’S AT MY NECK clocks in at just over 20 minutes, about four minutes longer than their other two releases. It’s not too long and it’s not too short.

For their next project, I think it could be really fun to hear them go all in on one sound. Maybe leaning fully into the jazzier side of things and making a fully fleshed out jazz rap project a la A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory. Or maybe they could explore something closer to the indie rock scene Utah is known for. Or maybe something entirely different, unlike anything we’ve ever heard before. Regardless of what they do, I’m truly excited to see what they have coming next.

To wrap this up, I just want to express that this is a great piece. This feels like the quintessential “shroom bap” album, like Bad Luck Brigade has truly mastered their sound and created a blueprint for others to draw from. If you have any interest in the group, their projects, or the genre, I couldn’t think of a better place to start.

Make sure to follow them on Bad Luck Brigade to stay up to date on all their projects. You can listen to “RESPECT MY GRIP” below!