Childish Gambino Is Eclectic As Ever On “Bando Stone And The New World”

Childish Gambino marches to the beat of his own drum. He’s never made the same album twice, whether it be the pop-rap opus Because the Internet or the funky Awaken, My Love. The sounds are different, and the themes wildly varied. This pattern is upheld with the latest (and possibly last) Gambino album. Bando Stone and the New World is a wildly eclectic collection of music, blending and melding genres at every turn. It may be Childish Gambino’s most ambitious album to date. However, it may take a few listens to fully click with fans.

The off-kilter approach is evident from the opening track. “H3@rt$ W3re M3@nt T0 F7¥” is a glitchy, bass-heavy banger with unhinged vocals from Gambino and Amaarae. It doesn’t follow a conventional song structure in the slightest, but it is compelling. The rest of the album is easier to listen to, though not significantly. “Steps Beach” is a gorgeous acoustic number that evokes Childish Gambino’s tropical attire on the album cover. A similar mood is evoked on “Real Love,” which could have been a hit for an indie pop band circa 2012. These palatable moments are broken up, however, by musical left turns. “Happy Survival” is a lush instrumental piece with a repeating mantra. “Got to Be,” meanwhile, is a techo nightmare with Uncle Luke samples. Gambino, regardless of where things go, is having fun challenging his fans.

1. H3@rt$ W3re M3@nt T0 F7¥ (featuring Amaarae)
2. Lithonia
3. Survive (featuring Chloe)
4. Steps Beach
5. Talk My Sh*t (featuring Amaarae & Flo Milli)
6. Got to Be
7. Real Love
8. In the Night (featuring Amaarae & Jorja Smith)
9. Yoshinoya
10. Can You Feel Me
11. No Excuses
12. Cruisin (featuring Yeat)
13. We Are God
14. Running Around (featuring Foushee)
15. Dadvocate
16. Bad One
17. Happy Survival (featuring Khruangbin)
18. A Place Where Love Goes