This article is the second instalment of a 10-part album review series by Paschal M.: “Top 10 Articles of 2014”

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, BadBadNotGood (occasionally abbreviated as BBNG) debuted their first commercial release III in 2014. This record brings together a soulful collection of 9 tracks lasting close to 50 minutes through which the group shows – to a greater degree than any critic could – why they are undoubtedly one of the most desired modern jazz groups to date. Having collaborated with artists such as Tyler, The Creator, Frank Ocean, and Ghostface Killah, it comes as no surprise that III’s sound is heavily hip-hop influenced with moments of experimentation throughout. III is the successor to their 2012 release BBNG2, in which they demonstrated their unmatched capacity to successfully cover songs with a refreshing jazz-like approach. BBNG2 features a set of creative renditions of tracks from across different genres. These range from artists such as the soulful British electronic musician and singer-songwriter James Blake to the  controversial, self-proclaimed, rap god, Kanye West. Subsequently, the only logical development would be for BBNG to demonstrate their ability to create original music, which III does impeccably. The album succeeds in elevating the group’s status from being considered merely a jazz cover band that happened to team up with Tyler, the Creator, once on YouTube into a new and refreshing avant-garde trio.

III demonstrates the group’s tendency and ability to explore beyond – or even disregard – conventional jazz boundaries. Inspired by the avant-garde jazz pioneer John Coltrane, their ability to improvise is highlighted in tracks such as “Confessions.” 2 minutes into the track, what had been a simple and melodic trumpet line morphs into an alluring harmonious improvisation, playing over a strong background instrumentation of piano and drums. The tracks within III feel connected to one another, all falling under the same jazz blanket. However, one negative aspect within an otherwise near-flawless album is that BadBadNotGood’s improvisation is not always as consistent in the record as they claim. In tracks like “Eyes Closed,” the improvising double bass fails to flow with the background drums cohesively, creating an almost claustrophobic mood despite the track’s otherwise uncrowded feel. In spite of the lapse in form, III makes progress towards revitalising the gradually fading genre of jazz within the mainstream music community, through a set of accomplished and superbly performed original jazz tracks. III shines as a beacon of hope in what is otherwise a dark, bleak future for modern jazz.