Brokencyde, one of 2008's most popular memes, released their second LP a month or two ago. I didn't get around to listening to it until the other day, because I didn't really like the first album (compared to the EP), and I figured this would be more of the same. I was mostly right-- I'm not sure what happened, but I feel like they lost their touch.
Crunkstreet Boys?
Basically, the EP was great because it was a bunch of Mexican stoner kids doing a screamo take on Lil Jon. I'm not really sure how to describe their sound these days other than to characterize it as late 90s boy band material with screams. Actually, some of the songs (like the one above) don't even have screams-- it sounds eerily like a knockoff of the soulless, bland Jive Records sound ala early Britney Spears, 98 Degreees or O Town. Kind of boring.
Figure 1: Audio Push "Teach Me How To Jerk"
Figure 2: Cali Swag District "Teach Me How To Dougie"
Figure 3: BC13 "Teach Me How To Scream"
The first single, "Teach Me How To Scream," is not only the best song on the album, but maybe their best song period. Unfortunately, it's also a pretty transparent "tribute" to a couple of other songs by a couple of those "black people in skinny jeans and Pierce The Veil shirts" rappers, so I'm not sure you can give them much credit for it.
I think they should start copying Waka Flocka on their next album
Initially Brokencyde got a lot of mileage off shock value, but that was over 1 million internet years ago, so the novelty has worn off and now they have to stand on their own as a real band (see also Millionaires). The problem is that their newer material is kind of boring-- there's nothing wrong with it, but there's just nothing right about it either. I don't hate or even dislike it by any means, but it just doesn't grab me like the EP did.
That's right, I'm pulling the old "I only like the demo" about Brokencyde. Mind = blown.
