If the Big Grams name sounds a bit like a mash-up to you, you're thinking in the right direction. The first part of the name comes from Big Boi of Outkast, and the second part is from Phantogram; put them together and you get … you guessed it, Big Grams.
Most of their songs sound a bit like a mash-up, too; you have the pulsating electronic beats and haunting vocals of Phantogram rubbing up against the syncopated wit of Big Boi. Phantogram and Big Boi both are great on their own, so the question comes to mind: Is the sum greater than the parts?
Big Grams is at its best when the collaboration is on equal footing. With songs like "Run for Your Life" and "Lights On," equal ground is covered by beats and lyrics by Big Boi and Sarah Barthel. It creates a dynamic push and pull with the music as the driving kinetic energy. A standout song where this works is "Fell In The Sun"; with epic big beats that seem larger than anything Phantogram have made in the past, it's a dance jam with both Sarah and Big Boi trading off the lead.
Things get a little muddled when more names get thrown into the mix. With featured guests Run the Jewels and Skrillex joining in, it starts to feel like there are too many cooks in the kitchen, and the results are a little more confusing. While they are still songs that would bring everyone out to the dance floor, it may not have the sticking power that a Phantogram, Outkast, or Run the Jewels album would have for the same sort of party.
Because the project was initiated by Big Boi after he Shazamed a song featured in a commercial and discovered it was Phantogram, it feels like this release is more of a "Big Boi" album featuring Phantogram. One of the best examples of this is "Put It On Her" — although a great song (it feels like it's pulled straight from the '90s, in a fantastic way), Phantogram's Sarah is delegated to playing the hook girl. More often than not, Sarah's voice is the chorus or backing "ohhs" and "ahhs."
This album may not make you love Phantogram more, but it could help push their name out to a bigger audience. For Big Boi, this is a welcome album that shows off his lyrical prowess and talent for seeking out interesting and talented collaborators. Big Grams is a great weekend dance-party album, but it may be an even better reminder to pull out an old Outkast album and give it another play.
