BUBBA is KAYTRANADA’s most complete, cohesive, eclectic and soulful work to date

Hailing out of Montreal, Canada, KAYTRANADA has made a name for himself with his beautifully textured, dance-heavy production. His 2016 album 99.9% was a decent body of work that showcased his talents brilliantly, but personally I found the album just a bit redundant and inconsistent. BUBBA is his follow up album – a vast improvement on his previous work with intricate, textured and groovy beats and features that bring their own and absolutely exceed expectations.

The dominant percussion on “DO IT” starts the album off beautifully, with groovy basslines and vocals that meander in and out of the instrumental, exclaiming “DO IT!” as thumping beat continues to hit throughout. “2 The Music” features Iman Omari, and is a terrific funk-driven track. His ethereal vocals complement the warm production throughout. This is basically the overall aura and vibe of the album. I feel like KAYTRANADA has found the right formula for this project. “Go DJ” features SiR, another excellent track, with basslines and a beat that just hits so hard, with SiR’s vocals sounding as soothing and soulful as usual. “Gray Area” features Mick Jenkins, who’s sung feature sounds great over a slightly more boom-bap beat. Other highlights on the album include the Charlotte Day Wilson featured “What You Need” as she provides sensual vocals to another hard-hitting beat. Teedra Moses features on “Culture,” another stellar track, with guitar leads and basslines that perfectly complement her voice throughout the track. “Puff Lah” is my favourite beat on the entire album, with hard-hitting bass-heavy beats and synths throughout that are just incredible. “Midsection” closes the album out with tribal, hypnotic and eclectic production and a stellar Pharrell verse, who perfectly captures the playful tone of the track, as well as the album as a whole. Overall, KAYTRANADA took major steps forward in creating an album that is cohesive, well thought out and excellently sequenced. A really good album indeed!

Listen to KAYTRANADA’s new album BUBBA below via Spotify and don’t forget to support!