The late-2010s rise of Brockhampton was nothing short of meteoric: from their dizzying triptych of Saturation releases to the top of the charts within a year, each successive album marked a significant step forward in production sonics and subject matter for the genre-blurring rap outfit. On Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine, the wild boys become thoughtful men, digging even deeper into complex, real-life themes such as religion, race, sexuality, mortality, and mental illness on their most focused and mature work to date. Serving mostly as a catalyst for vocalist Joba to process his father's passing ("The Light" and "The Light Pt. II"), the rest of Roadrunner finds leader Kevin Abstract processing a variety of relatable issues -- both personal and societal -- with the support of the Brockhampton crew and an impressive roster of guests. Technical precision and introspective lyrics mark this album as their most rap-centric project thus far, inspiring both concentrated head-nodding and the thrill of the rush as each emcee's verse impeccably weaves from one to another.
- Neil Z. Yeung - allmusic.com
