Disclaimer: I judge albums based on how enjoyable they are to listen to, how likely I am to revisit them and add them to my personal playlist. Obviously lyricism is important but for me it isn’t the defining factor in what makes a track good, with the beat and melodies being equally if not more important.
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 is EDM mega DJ Calvin Harris’ hotly anticipated follow up to his 2014 album Motion. The roll-out for this album was incredible, with Harris dropping multiple hits on the road to its release. The album released closely to everyone’s favourite video clip extra, DJ Khaled’s Grateful, so there was definitely some competition. With 10 tracks, the album is a bit on the short side but with the amount of stars on the album, there was plenty of talent to make it memorable. Frank Ocean, Snoop Dogg, Schoolboy Q, John Legend and Migos feature as well as others.
This album isn’t about discussing big social issues, it’s simply about enjoying the music produced by Harris. Mega-hit ‘Slide’ is the opener, featuring R&B superstar Frank Ocean and two thirds of rap trio Migos (Quavo and Offset). Quavo and Offset obviously have amazing chemistry on tracks, and their verses seamlessly slot together. Ocean is also phenomenal on the track, bringing his trademark unorthodox style to combine with Migos and craft an incredible record.
‘Cash Out’ with Schoolboy Q, PARTYNEXTDOOR and an outro from D.R.A.M. features Q in peak ‘Am I Wrong’ mode, expertly navigating his way through the uptempo, summertime beat. Party handles the hook and meshes very well with Q’s style and D.R.A.M. is solid on the outro. Of all the tracks on the album, this one sticks out as a sleeper hit. ‘Rollin’ is my personal favourite record record on the album, with rising R&B star Khalid and mumble enthusiast Future combining to create magic. I’m not a huge Future fan, but he is in fine form on this track, working as a perfect bridge between Khalid’s smooth vocals on the hooks. An underrated record on the album is ‘Holiday’, which features the surprise pairing of Rap icon Snoop Dogg and the oft forgotten third member of Migos Takeoff, with John Legend on chorus duty. Snoop, who has openly criticised new rap acts such as Migos, has incredible chemistry with Takeoff, with the two fitting together perfectly. Takeoff displaying his talent here without his Migos brothers is a welcome surprise, as he is looked at as the weakest member of that trio by some.
‘Heatstroke’ is also on the album and the gravelly tones of Young Thug combine with Pharrell and songstress Ariana Grande. While it’s not exactly my favourite track, it has had a lot of success. ‘Feels’ with Katy Perry, Pharrell again and Big Sean is also another popular track. Pharrell is incredible and Perry is semi-bearable, with Big Sean doing a great job mixing up the track with his signature style of rap. ‘Faking It’ has a different tone than most of the other tracks, with a bit more of a emotional drive. Lil Yachty is featured on the track but Kehlani is the star of the show, her voice and lyrics weaving together perfectly with the slow, funk beat.
‘Prayer’s Up’ with Travis Scott and A-Trak feels like a missed opportunity in my opinion. While certainly a good record, with Scott doing exceptionally on a slower beat than usually expected from him, I feel the track produced by Harris on Khaled’s album, ‘Don’t Quit’, would have fit much better on this album. In terms of forgettable tracks, for me ‘Skrt On Me’ with Nicki Minaj isn’t a standout on an album full of them and ‘Hard to Love’ with Jesse Reyez feels out of place as a slower, more methodical record on an upbeat summer album.
While you could categorise these as slip-ups, it doesn’t take away from the project overall. Coming out in the middle of winter may have hindered my ability to judge it as a summer album but not enough to reduce my enjoyment. Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 is 37 minutes of incredibly solid music, with amazing production and some phenomenal records that will be played by pools and at beaches for a very long time.
Rating: 8/10
Songs for your playlist:
- Slide
- Rollin
- Cash Out
- Holiday
- Feels
- Faking It
Station 22 