Earlier in 2020 I fell down the rabbit whole that was the Kansas City based trio BLACKSTARKIDS music discography and instantly feel head over heels for their genre-bending sound. They harness the nostalgia the majority of us feel for the 90’s and bring it into the modern era both through their witty lyricisms and vivid storytelling ability but also through their innovative soundscape that takes the breakout genres of the era (indie rock, pop and hip hop) and melts them together a glorious euphonic harmony.

Their previous projects Surf and Let’s Play Sports already demonstrated the trio, comprised of tyfaizon, Deiondre, and TheBabeGabe, had an knack for crafting intoxicatingly addictive melodies that could send anyone into a rapturous state of jubilance. However in Whatever, Man this rising band have expanded their sonic universe to new heights through both their evocative storytelling that details their own black coming of age story and their euphoria inducing soundscape.

They offer something new in each track with ACTING NORMAL, BEATRIX KIDDO and DEAD KENNEDYS feeling like a 90’s pop punk track released by Blink 182 mixed with the golden era of hip hop’s slick melodic tendencies and then with BRITNEY BITCH, FRIENDSHIP and FRANKIE MUNIZ you’ve got a bubblegum pop vibe mixed with a subtle indie rock tone to it. Everything throughout the piece is fresh with their neoteric sonic production the effortlessly captures the 90’s coming of age experience which is best shown in the final track LET’S PLAY GOD which could play at the end of any classic coming of age movie and become an instant classic.

This project soundtracks a previous generations adolescence where the whole piece plays out like a movie. Each track interconnects with one another so the story goes on and on until the very end where you’re left questioning what masterpiece you’ve just witnessed unfold before your very eyes. It takes you away to the nostalgia of your youth whilst simultaneously pushing the retro sounds forward into new territories that we never thought they’d venture into that can’t help but put a smile on your face. One of the best albums of this new decade, hands down.