Premiering on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, Thundercat‘s “Bus in These Streets” is a biting social critique covered under the sweet sounds of comforting falsetto and whimsical harmonies. Upon first listen, the 31-year-old’s track sounds reminiscent of theme music from your favorite childhood cartoon. Evidently a spin on the classic nursery rhyme, “Wheels on the Bus,” the song boasts a lighthearted beat evocative of juvenile innocence and youthful, carefree sensibilities. However, when listening a bit more closely, the social implications of the song become palpable. The native Californian bass player juxtaposes the lighthearted melody of “Bus in These Streets” with lyrics that denounce our modern tech-obsessed society. He cheekily inquires, “Where did I lose my phone at?” and “Thank God for technology/ cause where would we be/ if we couldn’t tweet our thoughts?”.
The artwork associated with the track follows the narrative of Bruner’s offbeat, experimental sound as it features an enigmatic medley of images ranging from a butt plug with googly eyes, a smiling orca and fallen geriatric amongst others.
Louis Cole provided the keys, drums and programming on Thundercat’s “Bus in These Streets” while Flying Lotus aided the track through programming and editing. Joined by the latter as well as George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Shabazz Palaces and the Gaslamp Killer, Thundercat has numerous tour dates scheduled which can be found here.
