there goes the neighborhood by grouptherapy. — a review
In anticipation of grouptherapy’s newest body of work I Was Mature for My Age, but I Was Still a Child (their debut album) I thought it would be an amazing time to return to this masterpiece of a mixtape. My first introduction to grouptherapy. was fall of 2020, a turbulent time for me to say the least. Forever grateful for my much cooler friends for telling me to listen. At the time, me and my friends were so confused how such a seminal 2020 album, by such a talent of a group wasn’t already huge. In fact, after becoming an instant fan it’s heartwarming to see how much them and the fanbase has grown over the years. I can really say I was here from that first mixtape. When Jadagrace released one of my favorite music videos of that year, raise it up! Here is my January 2021 review of there goes the neighborhood originally uploaded to duffymusicreviews on Instagram [with some edits because I’m still finding things i love almost 3 years later]
edited 6/25/2023
One of my favorite releases from 2020 would have to be there goes the neighborhood. by newcomers grouptherapy. Members Jadagrace, Koi (now SWIM), and TJ (now TJOnline) come together to deliver one of the most interesting, genre infusing, lyrically melodic , lemme-run-that-back-AGAIN mixtapes of the year, and with this being their debut, they’re just getting started!
We’re introduced to Koi and TJ in yessir. and bagchasers. It’s in these two songs the listener catches a glimpse of both rappers’ relatable, sharp, hilariously worded lyricism, and skillful musicality. The following track, wish you were here., introduces us to Jadagrace. You really feel the lyrics “Drinking in the day time, late night rides to the beach, I wish you were here for it” listening to this song. The friendship among these three can be felt so viscerally in this beautifully nostalgic track and is one of the reasons I kept coming back to this mixtape. It makes me miss all the times I’ve had with my friends pre-pandemic, and even makes me even miss the memories I’ve yet to experience. I really loved Jadagrace on this mixtape, as both her flow and tonality catches your attention, and her witty, yet crazy hard delivery, evident in songs like watercolor, solidify her specific tracks in my top 5. As Jadagrace sings on watercolor, she slows it all down for a second. Following the melodic cacophony of tj’s interlude, watercolor allows the listener to feel her voice, to feel the moment. I feel at peace listening to her rap, “jasmine, oolong, cadbury, wicker basket” in the same way I feel a cooling peace wash over me when I hear her layered vocals singing the bridge. It is the epitome of creating imagery with sounds and words, and it’s one of the songs on this mixtape that originally blew my mind.
Another one of these imagery inducing songs is day in question. This conversation-like song between Jadagrace and Koi offers a really interesting take on a skit. Jadagrace and Koi, in cool, calm and collected OJ fashion, convince the police officer of their innocence to a reported crime, but offer a very detailed step by step tutorial “if [they] were speaking hypothetically”. I love the back and forth between the two. I love the way each bar is crafted. I love the “well I was at home at the time” motif. I love it all! The concept is everything, and the delivery takes it to another level. This one and scene feel diabolically fun, like I’m fr doing hood rat sh*t with my friends and playing this mixtape while I do. And not to mention the magnetic production of Dee Lilly and TJ is another reason this body of work has such amazing replay value. I remember when I first listened to yessir, I was literally playing the song on loop a few times before I could even movie on. I knew I was obsessed, and in the moment I had to understand what about it I liked the most. I really wasn’t able to answer that for another few years. If not for their amazing songwriting, their production is different and exciting with each new song they drop and yet this mixtape still feels like a connected body of work.
To me, this mixtape and the accompanying visuals, show the great amount of thought and detail that went into crafting this story and really unique sound. I am so excited to listen to more from them, and follow their journey to stardom, because you don’t release a mixtape like this and not receive the accolades you deserve. Go stream it!
My Top Songs (but i really love them all)
Originally uploaded to Duffy Music Reviews 1/10/2021
