"Childish Gambino - Bando Stone & the New World (2024)"
Anyone else give it a spin? It's kinda hard to just let spin in th background because songs are so different so hard to have a consistent vibe with it.
Standouts to me so far are Steps Beach, No Excuses and maybe In the Night.
But I definitely need to give more spins.
My constant critique of CG, which applies here, is he is more of a mimic than an originator. Just about every song I can point to someone's style whose fingerprints are all over the song. That works fine when you go back in time like "Awaken, My Love!". It is a bit less impressive when he does contemporaries.
********** "Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
1. "His music is like his shows. Interpretation of what he sees." In response to Reply # 0 Mon Jul-22-24 07:13 PM by Boogie Stimuli
It's always like "Hey, this is my version of that." While I was reading your OP, I realized this is why I'm not all-in as a fan of his music. Because I don't feel like he's all-in. He's observing and taking in music, and then his own music is just his commentary on that music. It doesn't come from within him. Just like Atlanta was commentary on reality, which was great, but music is different. I prefer it to come from the soul.
That said, I haven't listened yet. I tend to find myself in very little hurry to hear his musical commentary.
2. "His entire act is performative" In response to Reply # 1
This has always been my issue with him. Extremely talented at passing as a novel artist without being an artist. You know… kind of like what an actor does. Wait….
7. "Here’s what I mean" In response to Reply # 3 Thu Jul-25-24 04:28 PM by sersey
He delivers a multi genre album from rock to trap to electro to r&b and everything in between. On the rock songs he’s using inflections and lyrics and harmonies that sound like it could be a Billie Eilish or Fallout Boy song. Then on the Trap joint, his cadence and flow sounds like his best 21 Savage impression.
If you look to another multi genre album like say, The Love Below. Dre’s lyrics and storytelling are still dripping with Dre’s personality. Even when Dre is doing his best Prince falsetto, or singing bout scratching dandruff over a traditional jazz number, it still feels authentic. Cause he’s not trying to embody Prince or “fill in the blank” jazz singer.
Childish Gambino songs always sound like he’s dipping into someone else’s bag. He pulls it off often with some jams. But if there’s a knock, it’s that it often feels forced.
6. "I hear you but I wonder if that's a function of getting older. " In response to Reply # 1
And by that, I mean everything felt new to me. It was much harder for me to see the influences on my favorite pop acts like Michael Jackson an Prince. Its taken getting older and learning more about music to see how Prince was influenced by folks like Bob Seeger, Chaka Kahn, etc.
Now days when I see newer acts their influences are far more transparent to me.
I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud.
********** "Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
The Lesson
