Big Grams comes just a year after the release of Phantogram’s most electronic and most ambitious album, Voices, which contained some of the best singles in indietronica music in recent memory, like Black Out Days and Fall in Love. One of the best qualities Voices had going for it was its tendency towards heavy, undeniable grooves that complimented Sarah Barthel’s vocals, and as you can imagine, that same magic translates onto Big Grams as well. While the instrumentals on this EP do feel more hip-hop-esque than they did on Voices, they still maintain a grooving electronic sound, and do wonders in complimenting Big Boi’s rapping. Right from the intro Run for Your Life, you have a slow-moving, trippy beat with jittery percussion and far-reaching synthesizers, and an interesting contrast between Big Boi’s fast, relentless flow and Barthel’s understated, dream pop-ish chorus on the song.
As you might expect, the EP isn’t without some outside collaborators, all of whom bring their own unique flairs to this album. Hip-hop producer 9th Wonder solely produced the track Put It On Her, which leads to a soulful boom bap beat with heavy sampling and some acoustic guitar in the mix. In-demand hip-hop duo Run the Jewels are featured on the track Born to Shine, in which Killer Mike and El-P drop straight fire in their individual guest verses, even if the chorus on the track does feel like a bit of a momentum-stopper. The most surprising guest collaborator of all is Skrillex, who solely produced the closer Drum Machine, which is easily the most obnoxious track in the bunch. It doesn’t feel as dubstep-influenced as the beat he produced for A$AP Rocky on the track Wild for the Night a couple years back; rather, it features a jumpy groove, which is paired with borderline annoying vocal melodies that make the track at times sound like it could soundtrack a kid’s TV show.
Though the Big Grams EP isn’t without its weak moments, it’s still one of the most potent and exciting EPs released so far this year. In its best moments, it’s incredibly catchy, memorable, and fun, with some of the most impressive production we’ve heard all year. Songs like Goldmine Junkie, Fell in the Sun, and Born to Shine alone sell this EP and make it worth listening to. Even if you aren’t necessarily usually a fan of hip-hop, the electronic production on this album is so good that we recommend you listen through it at least once. The trio has said that this EP is just a one-off project for them, but we really hope this isn’t the end for Big Grams, because their sole EP has wound up being one of our favorites of the year.
Tell us what you think about the EP; stream it via Spotify below, or purchase at this location.
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Journalist, photographer, beat fanatic, hobbyist FL Studio producer. Didn't actually think Korn's foray into dubstep was THAT bad.
