[junkie-dropcap]W[/junkie-dropcap]henever Action Bronson resurfaces, I can’t help but be excited. The last few years of his career have shown him to be a charismatic and unpredictable element in hip-hop. 2018’s “White Bronco” was a massive but undeniably impactful shift in Bronson’s sound. Then last year’s “Lamb Over Rice” with The Alchemist saw Bronson return to “traditional” hip-hop in better form than ever.
No matter where Bronson goes stylistically, his bravado and sense of humor carry him through seemingly, anything. So I knew no matter what direction “Only For Dolphins” went in, I’d be entertained. So let’s dive in.
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“Only For Dolphins” is entertaining no other Action Bronson album has been before. It’s mellow a majority of the time. “C12H16N2”, “Golden Eye” and “Vega” to name a few are incredibly laid back songs in terms of production. The producers on this album vary from Harry Fraud to DJ Muggs to Daringer, even Bronson himself. But despite these stylistic differences, they all share common ground on “Only For Dolphins”.
The more dynamic moments like the jazzy opener “Capoeira” or the seemingly 70s soundtrack inspired “Shredder” shine within the album without deflating the overall tone. I attribute this to Bronson’s consistent formula with his verses. The word “formula” probably has a negative connotation to it but in this case, it’s beneficial.
Whether the production is flashy or downbeat, Action Bronson himself is always the most consistent aspect of his music. His affinity for pop culture references and top-tier ad-lib game makes just about any song in his catalog a worthwhile listen. His voice also just has this way of working with all these different beats without him altering it. The only downside to Bronson’s overpowering presence on his songs is that it makes features seem pointless. Hologram and Meyhem Lauren aren’t bad rappers. But they were unnecessary and not at all memorable on “Mongolia”. Especially when compared to Bronson. Another verse from him would’ve done the beat far more justice.
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It’s one thing to say Bronson’s panache can’t be outdone on his songs. But it can’t even really be matched. (Unless the featured artist has a flair of their own, like Chance The Rapper’s iconic “Baby Blue” verse. Or even A$AP Rocky on “Swerve On Em” from “White Bronco”) Overall, there’s not much more I can say about “Only For Dolphins”. It reminds me in quite a few ways of “White Bronco” but it’s definitely got it’s own atmosphere. I also still prefer “White Bronco” and even more so “Lamb Over Rice” but “Only For Dolphins” isn’t a bad addition to Bronson’s discography by any stretch.
The production is really well textured throughout, and Bronson matches it a majority of the time. “Cliff Hanger” is the only time Bronson and the beat feel disconnected. I think I’ll warm up to “Only For Dolphins” given time but it’ll never be in the top tier of Action Bronson’s work for me personally. My anticipation for whatever he does next will be as high as ever, though. Sheerly because I never truly know where he’s going to go next.