ALBUM REVIEWS
“Are we gonna die?” – it’s a stark question to start with, but ‘Bando Stone and The New World’ is a death of sorts. On his fifth and final musical venture as Childish Gambino, the iconoclast Donald Glover bids farewell to the once-wandering persona he created 19 years ago after no longer finding music “fulfilling”.
Gambino has explored various musical styles throughout his career. His early albums ‘Camp’ (2011) and ‘Because The Internet’ (2013) introduced him as an eccentric backpack rapper, while ‘Awaken, My Love!’ (2016) and ‘Atavista’ (2024) – the expanded version of his 2020 self-leaked project ‘3.15.20’ – showcase his evolution into a world-building experimentalist.
The album – which will also double as the soundtrack to Glover’s upcoming dystopian survival movie of the same name – calls back to many of these points from his past work. It’s full of cinematic interludes that bring to mind ‘Because The Internet’, while ‘Survive’ feels like a radio-worthy leftover from ‘Atavista’ and ‘Steps Beach’ has the same dreaminess as his ‘Kauai’ mixtape.
Even on ‘Yoshinoya’, the disruptor brings us back to the 2010s by rapping over an evocative experimental beat reminiscent of Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. At first, Gambino allegedly guns for Drake, telling the 6God to “stay where you at, supposed to, boy” in his signature laid-back flow before issuing a “code red for old heads who never liked my short shorts and PRO-Keds”. Even in his final form, Gambino is still hyper-aware of the critics and proudly sticks his middle finger up at them, just as he did back in his 2011 debut single ‘Bonfire’.
Although you can draw parallels to the other versions of Childish Gambino, ‘Bando Stone…’ is by no means a nostalgic feat. As well as looking back, the star also moves forward. Lyrically, the once-quirky oddball has matured into a man who touches on themes such as fatherhood, love, faith and more, while his sonic repertoire gets a fresh expansion, too.
‘Lithonia’ sees him try his hand at a mini rock opera, injecting it with a similar grungy angst as Radiohead’s seminal 1993 hit ‘Creep’. ‘Got To Be’ is drastically different, fooling us into believing it will take the form of a melodic house anthem before ear-shattering synths blare through your speakers during this frenetic, Prodigy-sampling Atlanta club tribute. Glover even reverts to his old yearning ways on ‘Real Love’ – a feel-good pick-me-up where he sings about wanting to “be someone that you can count on” and “be everything that you wanted [him] to be” in a breathy higher register that conveys a charming innocence.
With the help of Afro-fusion superstar Amaarae, R&B pioneer Jorja Smith, confident spitter Flo Milli and even his son Legend on his last musical hurrah, Glover has made a record as otherworldly as his other outings. Yet, ‘Bando Stone and The New World’ stumbles slightly – where its sonic variety is exciting, it lacks a clear sense of cohesion or theme compared to his previous work – making it a bittersweet farewell to the legend of Childish Gambino.
ALBUM REVIEWS
Grandeur sits at the heart of ‘This Music May Contain Hope’, RAYE’s second album, and the result feels nothing short of breathtaking. On this record, the singer born Rachel Keen explores a wide spectrum of sounds across its 73 minute length, moving from emotional ballads to lively funk moments and the jazz pop style she has become closely associated with. It can feel overwhelming at first, yet the magic that comes from RAYE fully committing to her vision makes the experience rewarding from start to finish.
‘This Music May Contain Hope’, a conceptual project about pushing through insecurity and heartbreak, unfolds like a lavish stage production. RAYE takes on the dual role of main character and guiding voice throughout the story. “Allow me to set the scene. Our story begins at 2:27am on a rainy night in Paris. Cue the thunder,” she says during the opening track ‘Girl Under The Grey Cloud’, which arrives with sweeping orchestral strings. Spoken passages appear across the album, helping shape the narrative and giving the project a sense of direction, almost like hearing the official recording of a Broadway show.
With this framework in place, the South London artist allows herself to fully explore the album’s diverse musical palette, and most of the time it works in her favor. Sometimes she fully embraces the theatrical side of the concept, especially during the closing section of the smooth R&B track ‘The WhatsApp Shakespeare’. Other moments are delivered more straightforwardly, such as the emotional slow building ballad ‘I Know You’re Hurting’. She also revisits her earlier dance influences with the impressive house track ‘Life Boat’.
Across the entire album, two things stand out clearly. RAYE’s flexible vocals sound better than ever, and her songwriting feels sharper than it has before. Take the playful highlight ‘I Hate The Way I Look Today’, a swing jazz inspired track reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, where she admits “I’m okay to be lonely / If I’m lonely and skinny / I have such silly self-loathing thoughts, it seems”. Then there is the emotional storytelling in ‘Nightingale Lane’: “It was right there, early June / Next to Old Park Avenue / Standing in the rain, I watched him walk away”.
Despite all the vulnerability and emotional struggles explored throughout the record, RAYE ultimately reaches a place of optimism, staying true to the album’s title. She gathers her close friends on ‘Click Clack Symphony’ with support from Hans Zimmer, finds closure with guidance from Al Green on the smooth seventies soul inspired ‘Goodbye Henry’, and reaches toward something greater alongside her sisters Amma and Absolutely on the uplifting ‘Joy’ as she searches to be “free of all the pain and every fear”. After the stormy opening imagery of that “rainy night” and “thunder”, RAYE eventually realizes that “the sun exists behind the clouds”, as she shares on ‘Happier Times Ahead’.
‘This Music May Contain Hope’ shows RAYE performing at her absolute peak. The album feels huge in scale and emotionally powerful, yet it remains rooted in honest experiences and real feelings. Yes, it asks a lot from the listener, but that is also what makes it so special. Every dramatic moment and musical shift feels like RAYE claiming her independence and finally creating music entirely on her own terms.
