Drunk

Stephen Bruner, who plays bass as Thundercat, was all over Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly. This is what he sounds like in charge: twenty-three tracks, most under three minutes, jazz chords under songs about friend zones, video games, Tokyo, and waking up hungover. Show You the Way features Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, played completely straight, because Thundercat genuinely loves yacht rock. Kendrick, Pharrell, and Wiz Khalifa pass through. It is the rare comedy album that sneaks real sadness in, and the title is not a joke.