Ribbit! Hi everyone, Bamthony Bamtano here, the Internet's busiest music nerd, and it is time for a review of this new Action Bronson album, PLANET FROG.

Bam bam, baklava, Mr. Perfect, rapper, songwriter, producer Mr. Action Bronson is back with a new record. Queens' very own, and I will admit it has been a minute since I have checked in with Mr. Bronson on a formal review, but to start off, if you're old enough to remember what many refer to now as "the blog era," you most likely remember Action Bronson as a larger-than-life figure, almost a folk hero type whose personality was just too big to be restricted simply to music.

Many know his background as a chef, which is no secret, and is also evident in the many bars he's written that are clearly driven by his taste buds. He's been a TV host on various shows, including the most popular, Fuck, That's Delicious. He's had some small acting roles in films like The Irishman. And he has recently taken to painting, too; and if memory serves correct his past 5 records including this one have all included works he's produced — let's show a few examples, thank you.

And as he's increased the number of irons he's got in the fire, the tone and build of his albums have shifted, too, as a lot of his recent records are notably shorter and have tracklists that feel almost like loose compilations of freestyles. Which, in one breath, is a little disappointing considering that Bronson's potential has been shown to be far beyond that thanks to amazing projects like Rare Chandeliers.

However, maybe paring his records down in this way was the right move. After all, previous records where he was seemingly trying to mount some more crossover mainstream success didn't quite pan out all the way. And a lot of artists these days have taken to serving their fans more regularly with shorter, smaller albums rather than sort of putting all of their eggs into one big ambitious album basket that may or may not work out depending on the reception.

So, the more casual approach might just be what works best for Action Bronson. But I did notice this new record of his here, does feel and sound a bit meatier. And also serves as a reminder of what makes him special as a rapper: his voice, his sense of humor, the cartoony and vivid self-portraits that he paints with his bars that seem heavily inspired by artists like MF DOOM, but rather than painting himself as a villain, instead, Bronson would rather envision himself as what kinda seems like the lead or the hero in some straight-to-tape low-budget action flick, where he's always gonna do or say the most out-of-pocket thing just to prove how tough and showy he can be.

And while I wouldn't say the production on this record is mind-blowing per se, its bare vintage samples and sometimes drumless loops do a good job of serving that vibe, as everything feels like it could more or less be a part of one of the soundtracks from these movies. It's also all very pro wrestling, which some might call as a Griselda parallel, but Action Bronson has been doing this sort of thing for over a decade now. This vibe is pretty consistent throughout the album, but the tracklist is still a range of cuts that work well, fall short, or are kind of unflattering lyrically, even in the context of Bronson sort of being in character.

"LEBRON HENNESSEY," for example, which I do wish developed more, and has its share of standout lines. "I'm surely saucy, gotta swat the girlies off me / To get me off this high, I need like 30 coffees / Eye covered by Oakley / Choke the shit outta the goat, eat the goat meat," which is like, pure Action Bronson through and through. The track still works as a tone-setter, though, I would say.

It's really the deeper cuts that end prematurely, or only see Bronson brandishing one single verse, that leaves me feeling like, what are we doing? There isn't a feature to add here, or any way to build this out further. Of course, I'm talking about tracks like "MY BLUE HEAVEN," as well as the instrumental "CHUTNEY," which does feature Action Bronson Bronson's live backing band, Human Growth Hormone, as well as a co-production credit from Bronson, too.

And, in comparison with other recent records, this album does feature more co- and outright production from Bronson. So maybe on some level he feels like "all of my artistry, in every way is kind of going into every element of this project, be it the cover or the verses or the beats themselves." So maybe there isn't as much pressure on a personal level to be writing as much as he might have on older records where he wasn't handling all the beats. And while I could see that mindset in one sense, I feel like more control is more responsibility, more say over how these songs go and how they develop. And why take on these extra efforts if you're not going to shoot for the stars?

Either way, there are still plenty of highlights to be had in this tracklist, like "TRICERATOPS," for example, featuring not just Lil Yachty but Paul Wall too, who all have about like the weirdest but still most entertaining chemistry I've heard 3 dudes have on one single track this year. Not to mention the instrumental feels like playing Frogger on LSD. There's also "PEPPERS" with Roc Marciano, which is another great team-up. The vibes here are effortless, they're chill, they're gritty, with a simple but effective refrain to boot: "I gotta take it easy, whoa!"

And so long as I'm talking about features on this project, I love the ongoing connection that Bronson has with longtime friend Meyhem Loren. The beat is like a series of glossy funk grooves with a hot sauce drizzle, and these two know exactly what kind of competition they're engaged in every single time they team up, just trying to brutally out-brag each other, which leads to ingenious moments like "Poison 40 gang members with empanadas / With product from the supermarket costing just $11."

But as good as tracks like this are, Bronson is also perfectly capable of talking shit on his own, like on "OLYMPIC VINCE CARTER" as well as "CONDOR": "Spilled chicken soup on the Mullen jersey / I feed these motherfuckers like a mother birdie / My grandmother in the window screamin' come home early / Fuck it, tomorrow's another journey." So yeah, I love tracks like these, but also there are moments where I do wish Bronson did a bit more to filter himself.

I'm talking about tracks where he's throwing out bars that seemingly don't have anything else to them other than shock value, like there's no real wit or wordplay there. Like on the track "IGUANA," where he makes reference to, you know, wanting to play roleplay, and you can be Nicole and he can be O.J. Or this one bar saying "Chris Brown taught us that hoes ain't loyal."

Either way, I do love the genuine moment of reflection, love, and devotion, and just kind of thinking about his age and the time he's been on this planet that the closing track brings, which I think rounds this record up more thoughtfully than some of the final moments on his past few albums, for sure.

Which is why I think Planet Frog is probably the best of many of these shorter records that Bronson has been dropping as of late, since really the late 2010s. I have no presumption that he's going to start dropping albums that are a bit longer or a bit more thorough or multifaceted anytime soon.

But with him further developing his sound since the mid-2010s, and again, taking on more production responsibilities, as well as having the capacity to artistically feature with and collaborate with just about anybody in the industry right now, he seems to have landed in a place in his career where he just has a very distinct sound and vibe and sense of humor that you're pretty much getting from him and from him only. And outside the handful of bars where he's obviously just trying a bit too hard to be edgy.

There wasn't really anything about this project I disliked. If anything, I was just kind of left wanting more, which is why I'm feeling about a light 7 on this new one from Bronson.

Anthony Fantano, Action Bronson. Forever.