Childish Gambino – ‘Bando Stone And The New World’ review: a bittersweet send-off to a musical innovator

22 July, 2024

Childish Gambino Donald Glover

“Are we gonna die?” – it’s a stark question to start with, but ‘Bando Stone and The New World’ is a death of sorts. On his fifth and final musical venture as Childish Gambino, the iconoclast Donald Glover bids farewell to the once-wandering persona he created 19 years ago after no longer finding music “fulfilling”.

Gambino has explored various musical styles throughout his career. His early albums ‘Camp’ (2011) and ‘Because The Internet’ (2013) introduced him as an eccentric backpack rapper, while ‘Awaken, My Love!’ (2016) and ‘Atavista’ (2024) – the expanded version of his 2020 self-leaked project ‘3.15.20’ – showcase his evolution into a world-building experimentalist.

The album – which will also double as the soundtrack to Glover’s upcoming dystopian survival movie of the same name – calls back to many of these points from his past work. It’s full of cinematic interludes that bring to mind ‘Because The Internet’, while ‘Survive’ feels like a radio-worthy leftover from ‘Atavista’ and ‘Steps Beach’ has the same dreaminess as his ‘Kauai’ mixtape.

Even on ‘Yoshinoya’, the disruptor brings us back to the 2010s by rapping over an evocative experimental beat reminiscent of Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. At first, Gambino allegedly guns for Drake, telling the 6God to “stay where you at, supposed to, boy” in his signature laid-back flow before issuing a “code red for old heads who never liked my short shorts and PRO-Keds”. Even in his final form, Gambino is still hyper-aware of the critics and proudly sticks his middle finger up at them, just as he did back in his 2011 debut single ‘Bonfire’.

Although you can draw parallels to the other versions of Childish Gambino, ‘Bando Stone…’ is by no means a nostalgic feat. As well as looking back, the star also moves forward. Lyrically, the once-quirky oddball has matured into a man who touches on themes such as fatherhood, love, faith and more, while his sonic repertoire gets a fresh expansion, too.

‘Lithonia’ sees him try his hand at a mini rock opera, injecting it with a similar grungy angst as Radiohead’s seminal 1993 hit ‘Creep’. ‘Got To Be’ is drastically different, fooling us into believing it will take the form of a melodic house anthem before ear-shattering synths blare through your speakers during this frenetic, Prodigy-sampling Atlanta club tribute. Glover even reverts to his old yearning ways on ‘Real Love’ – a feel-good pick-me-up where he sings about wanting to “be someone that you can count on” and “be everything that you wanted [him] to be” in a breathy higher register that conveys a charming innocence.

With the help of Afro-fusion superstar Amaarae, R&B pioneer Jorja Smith, confident spitter Flo Milli and even his son Legend on his last musical hurrah, Glover has made a record as otherworldly as his other outings. Yet, ‘Bando Stone and The New World’ stumbles slightly – where its sonic variety is exciting, it lacks a clear sense of cohesion or theme compared to his previous work – making it a bittersweet farewell to the legend of Childish Gambino.