Sonic Boom Six – ‘Keep On Believing’

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With an eclectic sound of punk, ska, hip-hop and grime, Sonic Boom Six have garnered a significant underground following since the release of their first album in 2006. Critically acclaimed for their eclectic sound and energetic live performances, they are also known for their social commentary and the distinguished persona of front-woman Laila Khan.

The second release from their new self-titled studio album, this single has regular producer Peter Miles on board, and an up-beat, anthemic chorus. With this track marking their second single release on their new label, Xtra Mile, it is interesting to consider the noticeable alterations which have been made to both their song writing and production. Firstly, in terms of production value, this single is certainly far more polished than usual, which has taken away from the rough and ready sound of the singles from earlier albums. There is also a slight change of influences, where there is an obvious shift towards ska-punk as opposed to punk and hard-core. For example, comparing ‘Keep on Believing’ to ‘Back 2 Skool’, from their 2009 album, City of Thieves, it is clear that Sonic Boom Six seem to be inclining towards a more radio-friendly sound these days. With lyrics concerning nostalgia for the underground punk scene of their youth, this single seems to mark a point where Sonic Boom Six are looking backwards rather than forwards. However, their growing popularity suggests that they are going from strength to strength and their future looks nothing but optimistic.

6/10

Elizabeth Ozolins

AGP Weekender – Saturday 24/11/12 @ Tunnels

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Due to an afternoon spent fruitlessly shouting at a hopeless Scotland side (honestly, how do we lose to Tonga?) I only managed to get down to The Tunnels in time to catch the tail end of the day’s fourth act (of ten) The Mirror Trap. What I heard was good – something in the vein of a conservative Idlewild. With exceptions, Scottishness would be the main theme of the weekend: but, pleasingly, every act was distinct enough that the memory of the whole thing hasn’t dissolved into Frightened Rabbit/Biffy comparisons. Ok, maybe we can make a couple for This Silent Forest, but only because they fell into this category most of all. No bad thing, of course, just means that you know exactly what to expect if I told you they sounded a bit like The Twilight Sad. It’s often difficult to distinguish these bands at a live gig because so much of it comes down to lyrical content, and The Tunnels seems to suffer from underdone vocals. But if you have a collection of typical Scottish indie that you’re looking to add to, these guys come with a recommendation if you’ve become accustomed to a good crescendo.

Next up was Forest Fires, something a bit different. Borne of pop-punk but with as much musical flair behind it as fun, the sound of a genre grown-up, leading with a firm edge and finishing with inventiveness and substance. I’d heard good things about Forest Fires only to presume that they weren’t my cuppa – but where Blink and co. get boring these guys get creative. Cracking stuff.

Tango in the Attic, predictably, were a bit of an odd one. I couldn’t quite tell if the lyrics were intentionally shoegazey or if this was just The Tunnels being The Tunnels, but either either way it really complemented their not-quite-wall-of-noise-but-still-pretty-big mode of attack. Fuzzed up indie sounds best on stage, and this was no exception.

Brown Bear and the Bandits were a lively bunch, all fast-paced countrified folk with vocals à la Mumford (only Scottish, obviously). Incase that comes across as a bit depressing, they were anything but; we’d sing along if we knew the lyrics. There’s not much else to tell about what is essentially an acoustic act made lively with a backing band, only to say that I don’t think that this sort of thing could ever stop being enjoyable.

Then we had French Wives – a class act. It’s a bit difficult to pinpoint why these guys are better than other acts that do a very similar thing (a conundrum we’d run into again with Fatherson on Sunday): and if I told you that they’re another distinctly Scottish indie act on this label, there would be very little left that these guys could do to surprise you. But when they do their thing, they do it in correct measures. It gets anthemic, but where so often that feels a bit false and constructed, here it… well, didn’t. It says something that I could pick these guys as a highlight of the night, yet can’t make much headway in specifying why they aren’t just another indie act: they’re plain better than all that.

We ended the night with Katie Sutherland. You might think this an odd choice of headliner, given that the sell is very similar to Cara Mitchell (who I missed but from previous experience can tell you is excellent) and other girl-meets-guitar acts, and you’d be half right. Katie is like the local acoustic acts we’re already familiar with, but with bags more confidence, and the addition of a backing band made the set as whole feel more varied and stopped it from suffering from sounding all the same after a while as tends to happen with acoustic acts. Not that the band did anything especially groundbreaking – Katie was very obviously the focus, and she certainly had the voice and character to pull it off.

And yet, after all that I don’t think I’ve given a very good impression of what the weekend was like. It was a good 14 hours spent sitting listening to music – it felt like a very long time, sure, and maybe I didn’t get the good of some of the bands here because of it, but it was still time well spent. Twelve quid or so on the door sounds pricey, but for the amount and quality of entertainment you get, you can’t do much better in Aberdeen. Though if there’s going to a next AGP weekend (I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there is) I’d recommend that you get yourself acquainted with some of the acts before you go: discovering new music live can be great, but when you’ve got the best part of a day of listening ahead of you then you appreciate hearing a familiar tune.

Moreover, it affirmed something I’ve noticed about the Aberdeen scene. I’ve been to a good few gigs now, but not one of them, not even a single opening act, has been a duffer. We’re not a big scene, but we’ve certainly got quality. Big-ups to AGP for reppin’ it. Yo.

Scott Reid

Ellie Goulding – ‘Figure 8′

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My feelings for Ellie Goulding are quite temperamental – some songs I love, some not so much. I am a fan of  ’Starry Eyed’ and I still can’t get enough of ‘Your Song’ but then again that may not count- although it cannot be argued it was an amazing cover.  Unfortunately ‘Figure 8′ is one I am not particularly keen on.  When I first started listening to it, I found it kind of boring and easy to skip, although I did warm to it after a while. It is clear that her new album Halcyon has -unsurprisingly – been strongly influenced by dub–step due to her recent beau Skrillex, although they have sadly broken up since. The song is very electro-pop, and does not do justice to the voice we all know she has. It seems that there has been a fair bit of fine tuning and knob turning in the editing process. I personally don’t think that makes a great song, I prefer it when everything is completely stripped down to the vocals.  ’Figure 8′ is nothing that you haven’t heard before resembling other tracks on her album such as ‘Anything Can Happen’.  I doubt this song is going to be on her greatest hits album but hey ho, she still has plenty of time to fill up that album.

4/10

Aileen O’Hagan

Everything Everything – ‘Kemosabe’

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Looking forward to a well-deserved Christmas holiday, Everything Everything have already got well underway with publicising the second single to come from their second album Arc. Though not released until January 14th the album is already available for pre-order, and the single ‘Kemosabe’ will precede it by a week, out on January 6th. Whether this is a smart move or not is debatable.
Speaking as a fan of most Everything Everything material up until now, on first listen this song seems disappointing. In the beginning it feels like a too-long bridge section, so the song doesn’t seem to get going until a minute and a half in. The lack of vigour in the first minute makes it difficult to appreciate the rest of the song and without the catchy hooks so prominent in past releases this song just doesn’t act as a good advert for the forth-coming album. With a few listens the song is more enjoyable but I don’t think this song is ever likely to be a big hit for the band. With only one gig booked between now and their next tour, which begins in Portsmouth on February 6th, maybe the band will have the time to sit down and decide on a better single for the next release.

For a look at the accompanying video check out their website: http://www.everything-everything.co.uk/
Roisin Trainor

Dog Is Dead – ‘Teenage Daughter’

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Having been lucky enough to see these lovely chaps last year at what was an exceptional gig, I was keen to hear the latest from the five piece indie band. Hailing from Nottingham they are a pretty standard indie band and this track is nothing extraordinary. That does not however make it necessarily bad, doesn’t take away the fact they are a brilliant live band, nor does it stop the bass player looking bizarrely like my younger brother (WEIRD). The track comes from their debut album All Our Favourite Stories which is out now to buy.

The track is a chilled, laidback affair with a nice catchy melody and it builds at a good pace to a pleasing climax. I don’t entirely understand the meaning or emotion behind the song, perhaps I am a simple creature but without a story or feeling behind a song I do find it hard to attach myself to a track. It is, however, very pleasant to listen to and is well written. There may be nothing technically wrong with the track, but I just don’t feel it. This makes me a bit sad because they are a band I’ve really liked over the past year, but I guess that’s one of the worst (and best) things about music. It either gets you or it doesn’t.  Therefore I am giving this track a 4/10 as I am not a great fan, but I am not going to give up hope with Dog Is Dead as I know they really can be so so brilliant.

 

Holly Abbott

Noisettes- ‘I Want U Back’

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So the Noisettes are back in action with a new album and more of the retro pop we loved from them before. It may be a similar style but the new songs feel overall more developed and a little more grown up. ‘Don’t Upset The Rhythm’ is an absolutely classic tune yet we must remember that was released in 2009 (gasp!) and the band have come along a long way since then. Three members became two, with singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa and guitarist Dan Smith boldly continuing with all the best elements of the band intact. I continue to adore the Noisettes and their new album (out now entitled Contact) is no exception and the track ‘I Want U Back’ is the second to be released from the album. Each song on the album takes a slightly different musical angle, ‘I Want u Back’ is quite a dramatic song with the pounding bass underlying and driving forward Shoniwa’s lyrics singing out the pain of wanting someone you lost long ago. It makes for a great upbeat song to drive you through the day all about getting exactly what you want. Like the theme music to some kind of superhero movie. It is a very simple yet effective melody with equally simple lyrics which creates an overall great track.

I love the Noisettes because of their ability to write a great catchy melody and pair it with lyrics which tell a story we can all relate to. From simply: peeps, do not interrupt me whilst I am dancing, right down to: dude I should never have let you run away and I want you back right now. Therefore in my highly biased opinion (if you hadn’t noticed, I’m a bit of a fan) I am giving the track 9/10. I highly recommend you give the whole album a listen!

This track along with the entire album is available to download or physically buy from all good places.

 

Holly Abbott

Preview – Aberdeen Gig Promotions November Weekender 2012! @ Tunnels

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The North-East’s music scene gets a (encouraging-rather-than-aggressive) kick up the arse this weekend (November 24th/25th) as a ridiculous number of talented musicians descend upon The Tunnels (or is it just ‘Tunnels’? the ‘The’ could be superfluous if you want to be awkward.)

Basically, this might be the most important thing to happen to the local scene since ‘Guitar Wifey’ moved in. For half the price of a Killers ticket, you get to see 20 acts, all organised by the always dependable Aberdeen Gig Promotions. Mathematically speaking, it’s something of a bargain. There’s also a pretty admirable mix of established veterans, exciting outfits ready for the next step, and generally less well-known local artists ready to capitalise on their opportunity to share a bill with some more experienced, well-loved faces. There’s a proper diversity in genre too. Everything’s being chucked into this – acoustic singer-songwriters, folk, pop, rock, indie, electro. No Celtic-rhumba-jazz-fusion, or Christian-folk-metal, unfortunately, but hey – maybe next year.

So, who exactly is playing? I’ll resist going for any literary curveballs, and just stick with running through it in chronological order. Saturday begins with a couple of acoustic singer-songwriters – the musical equivalent of a warm up and light stretch. Or, in my case, pre-drinking. The hype train behind local wunderkind Cara Mitchell will aim to gain momentum, as she brings her new E.P Have You Ever Wondered to Tunnels once again. You need to hear her voice, if you haven’t already. There’s also Foxes frontman and all-round culture enthusiast (he acts as well don’cha know) Nigel Thomas. Give his solo stuff a listen (pick it up FOR FREE here) and there’s a definite sense that he loves the freedom he has doing it himself – he has fun, you have fun, everyone’s happy. Apparently it was recorded in his bedroom, for heaven’s sake. A comfortable, conducive atmosphere for pouring one’s heart out? Or an excuse to not have to get dressed in the morning? You decide.

Once Nigel’s been shooed off, enthusiastic Dundonian rockers The Mirror Trap will look to blow everyone’s wee minds. Their Facebook biography might be the best thing I’ve ever read, and the passion so readily displayed there comes across in their live performances. Their strength mostly relies on their lyrics – don’t worry, they’ve got riffs, but it’s the underlying sense of unsettlement behind ‘My Alabama’ that truly sets it apart from the pile marked “landfill indie”.  Then there’s Tacado, who after winning a Facebook poll to earn a slot on the bill, will have to perform well or else democracy itself will suffer (in case The X Factor hasn’t killed everyone’s faith in it already). They’ll be completely different to anything on before them. They’re difficult to consign to a genre, but safe to say they’ll make you want to dance even though it’s only the afternoon. They really are a band that’ll want to use this thing as a springboard.

This Silent Forest really epitomise that genre that has almost been appropriated exclusively by Scottish bands – that kind of melodic, lilting but emotional indie rock that soars in all the right places. There are echoes of everyone from Idlewild to The Twilight Sad.  They’ll aim to prove they’re impressive in their own right on Saturday.

Hugely popular local alt-rock group Forest Fires don’t really need an introduction to most Aberdonian gig-goers. ‘Recovery’ and ‘Trial And Error’ are massive indie anthems, and if recent track ‘Avalanche’ is anything to go by they’re maturing into a slightly heavier but still melodically-inclined rock group. They’re also an incendiary live prospect (yup, that’s right, incendiary, let that one sink in). For some reason, you can get most of their music for free, here. Don’t expect the same generosity when their new E.P. comes out early next year (quote: “It’ll be out January. So it’ll probably be out February.” Pfffft, musicians.)

The phenomenally titled Tango In The Attic have a solid reputation for putting on a great live show. As well as being the best thing to come out of Glenrothes since Dougray Scott, they’re one of the most innovative bands of the weekend. Look out for seamless transitions between thrashing indie, smooth pop and spiky electro.

Alliteration enthusiasts Brown Bear & the Bandits kind of sound like The View decided the best thing for their careers would be to make a Mumford & Sons cover album. But with less banjos. And though that might be the worst description of anything ever, that’s genuinely the gist of their cheeky, dirty folk-pop. Matt Hickman (lead vocals) just sounds like a bit of a rascal. The young SAMA-winning three-piece will be trying to consolidate some North-East momentum.

French Wives are perhaps one of the most hotly anticipated bands of the weekend. They’ll be doing the penultimate set on the Saturday, so look for them to absorb all the momentum from those who came before them and just unleash it all back, like some sort of suave, sonically pleasing hyper-beam (yes, that’s a Pokémon reference, for anyone too old/too young). Their album Dream of the Inbetween was released in May, and it’s loaded with string-laden indie-pop anthems. Like Feeder, when they were good. ‘Younger’ is truly epic and ‘Me vs Me’ just oozes charm. If they can make all this translate in the cold, dark depths of Tunnels then they might be a contender for highlight of the weekend.

Katie Sutherland, or as you may know her, ‘yon quine fae Pearl & The Puppets’, has the duty of headlining Saturday night. Probably best known for the playfully happiness-inducing ‘Because I Do’, she and her band will look to give a memorable set to top off a memorable night. Her more recent solo stuff certainly doesn’t indicate a departure from the jaunty acoustic-pop of the aforementioned track, but there’s maybe an element of maturity that, understandably wasn’t there 2 or 3 years ago. It’s a lovely progression, and one that gives great hope for a polished, beautiful set on Saturday. The best comparison is perhaps to Feist – not only is there a vocal resemblance but she also took a successful if slightly twee base of interest and used it to draw people into her, where they just couldn’t get out. That’s definitely a good thing by the way.

Sunday promises just as many potential eargasms, if you’re not too tired. Megan Blyth kicks things off with some hangover-friendly acoustic stuff. Aberdeen has plenty great ‘girls with guitars’ (look up Leanne Smith, Margaret Finlayson, Rambler, Leighann Esslemont and of course you know about Cara Mitchell), it’s something of a challenge just getting noticed. This is a great opportunity for Megan to get her foot in the door. Her songs are heartfelt and she’s got an interesting tone that one senses hasn’t nearly been fully explored yet. Turn up early to find out how she’s doing with that.

Cats In Capes will take to the stage, to build some afternoon momentum with their laid-back indie (not a sentence I thought I’d ever have to write, that). They’re a band very much on the up. But the tracks they’ve got so far suggest plenty confidence and a sort of versatility that few young bands could pull off so effortlessly. They’re followed by AGP favourites The Winter Tradition. They describe themselves as ‘pop-rock’ but, depending on your definition of the genre, they might be selling themselves a little short. There’s great musicality about them, and – particularly live – their soundscapes and atmosphere are just as impressive as any catchy chorus they might come out with.

The Mouse That Ate The Cat have one of the most hotly anticipated sets of the weekend. There was dismay of almost Shakespearean proportions when The Dykeenies formally split this year – I like to think of it as people of a certain age’s ‘Take That incident’ – but frontman Brian Henderson is back, along with former Drive-by Argument chappy Colin Keenan. What does this new project sound like? Well you’ll have to go along to the gig to find out (I’m good at this promotion lark). I can tell you that it’s just as catchy as anything either of them have done before, but it’s obvious that they’re broadening their horizons a little. That vague enough for you?

Much hyped English rockers Angry vs The Bear have a pretty sleek brand of edgy pop going for them. Of course it would be naïve to define them by this alone, but the fact they’re fronted by a GIRL (!) should mean they’re at least providing something different. There must be something about bears that appeals to a musician. A third, if slightly more morbid group appears this weekend in the form of Penguins Kill Polar Bears. The local favourites are back in the game with their trademark almost post-rock wall of sound. They’re the kind of band that usually sound great in a venue like Tunnels, and many people are expecting them to do really well on Sunday.

Stirling indie-poppers Miniature Dinosaurs are probably one of Scotland’s greatest hopes for true commercial success at the moment. They recently released their Turn It On E.P, and critics and fans have been secreting fluids over it at an alarming rate. They’ve got a strange but definite kind of charisma, and the tunes to back it up. ‘Lemonade’ is sensational theatrical indie-pop. Also, they’re driving 10 straight hours to get up to The Deen in time for the gig, to raise funds for Scottish Autism. How cute are they? Seriously though, it would be amazing to get as much raised for that amazing cause as possible. We don’t want to have to phone Bono. Donate here.

Duke are quite surely becoming a favourite within the local music scene. Reminiscient of (sorry) Biffy Clyro, they have their own fresh-faced energy to go with the adventurous rhythms, soaring choruses and searing riffage. They stay the right side of the pop-rock/alt-rock line at all times, and they’ve identified where that line is alarmingly quickly. They should be good. Just don’t shout ‘Mon the Duke!’, or anything similarly upsetting.

The Fire And I are regarded as a pretty formidable live prospect. They’ve basically pilfered all the best aspects of pop, punk, alternative and post-hardcore to craft this riotous collection of hooks and heavy riffs. Tunnels is in for a noisy night. The Fire And I are basically made for this sort of venue: dirty (in a good way), stabbing, but still inherently musical rock music. With any luck they might treat the crowd to some material from their unreleased (and probably as yet unfinished) second album.

So, after 19 artists that couldn’t get more varied, it’s up to Fatherson to headline the whole shebang.  Poor things. It’s pretty handy then, that Fatherson are rather good. The Killie quartet/occasional quintet are pretty well loved, and were something of a no-brainer in terms of picking a headliner. They’ve got that lovely Scottish lilt. They’ve got choruses – good choruses. Emotive lyrics: check. In short, they’ve got everything necessary to provide a cathartic finale to a bloody huge weekend. This shit’s better than Twilight. To be honest, if you don’t have much of an interest in local music, or don’t think you’d like it, go to this and find out for sure. You’ll find something you like. Probably a few things. It’ll change your life. Ok, it probably won’t change your life, but it’ll be the most important weekend Tunnels, Aberdeen Gig Promotions and quite a few bands have experienced in a long while.

 

Here’s what you need to know:

It’s Saturday and Sunday the 24th and 25th of November.

It’s 3pm-11pm both days.

Tickets cost £12.50 each day, or £22 for both. Get tickets from One Up or the AGP website.

Have a look at the Facebook event page, and click ‘Attending’. Yes, you do actually have to attend as well.

Alan Henderson

Lianne La Havas – ‘Age’

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The Mercury Music Awards are one of the most highly anticipated events in the music business calendar and with one of the strongest Nomination lists this year, the judges had a tough decision to make. Unfortunately for Lianne La Havas she wasn’t destined to receive the £20,000 cheque this year, however for many years there has been a general opinion, amongst critics and artists alike, that to win the big prize can be “The kiss of death” spelling the end of the artist’s music career. So to be nominated, have the industry learn your name and your albums sport the shiny-stickered logo might be the perfect result? I can only hope this is true of La Havas.

Citing influences such as classics, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone; right through to ‘90s R’n’B divas Lauryn Hill and Mary J Blige; and even her Greek, multi-instrumentalist father; La Havas has really done her heroes justice with her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough. ‘Age’ is the third single to be released from the 2012 album and as with previous releases showcases yet another facet of her musical personality. 

The tonality of La Havas’ voice is something to really marvel at when listening, how she bends notes, slides through (almost) an entire octave in seconds and huskily changes gear from a soulful lament into something as cheerfully and playfully melodic as ‘Age’. The song is a sweet little musing to herself, through which she seems to convince herself that she has made the right choice in moving on from a young lover, to a much older man: “I kinda know this other guy, but he’s rather old enough to be my father.”. This is a lovely song for what it is: a playful, summery song to listen to when you’re in a good mood, it doesn’t pretend to be anything else and for that reason seems unfaultable.

As with most well-managed modern artists, La Havas has a page on almost every social media and media-sharing website you can think of, for the full list check out her BBC Music artist page.
For a look at the simple but beautifully put together lyrics video look on the front page of her own website. But the really interesting find on the net is a track by track description of the album by Lianne herself which is easily found under her name on Spotify.
9/10
Roisin Trainor

Stereophonics – ‘In A Moment’

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In today’s fast-moving, ADDesque music business; where bands are moulded and groomed through humiliating television programmes, and have a life expectancy not much longer than a dairy product, Stereophonics are a rare breed. To have formed organically in the South of Wales and had notable success through a barely established label (Richard Branson’s V2) in the late ’90s, it must be nothing short of awe-inspiring to the teeny-boppery acts of X Factor, that the band continue to release new material more than fifteen years later (without relying on glossy magazines and gossip columns to keep them in the spotlight).
At first, being predictably compared to fellow Welsh indie-rockers Manic Street Preachers, the band had to fight to make their own name for themselves, but with strong singles written by lead singer, Kelly Jones; a talented writer, who also has the vocal talent to lead the songs, they were soon a successful band in their own right. One of those bands that you always know more singles than you think, such as: ‘Have A Nice Day’; ‘Mr.Writer’; ‘Just Lookin”; ‘Mama Told Me Not to Come’; and the classic, ‘The Bartender and the Thief’.
‘In A Moment’ is a brand new single from forth-coming album Graffiti on the Train, physically released in December in spectacular vinyl form (see website for details) but already available for free(!) download via the band’s website. The intro is an enticing background beat leading up to Jones’ growling vocals, which, almost threatening at first, develop into a typically-Stereophonics, catchy and melodic chorus. An entrancing guitar piece holds the two halves of the song together before another round of chorus leads to a gentle fade-out. For Stereophonics fans this should tick all the boxes, unfortunately if you’re looking for something a bit more original this isn’t anything to shout about. The phrase “indie-rock by numbers” may sound harsher than the song deserves, but there was very little to this song to excite listeners. A perfect background song to add to your Chill-Out or Hangover playlist it may be, but unfortunately, I think Jones and co. need to push new boundaries if they’re to last another five years let alone fifteen.
4.5/10
Roisin Trainor

Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city

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Kendrick Lamar, one of the four constituent members of on-the-up rap clique Black Hippy returns with his follow-up album to the very well received Section.80.

good kid, m.A.A.d city (GKMC) however, is distinct from Section.80 in that it’s a concept album based around Kendrick’s early childhood and experiences growing up in Compton, done through both the content of the songs and recordings-of-phone-calls-skits at the beginnings and ends of tracks. Whilst these start out harmless and quite funny (Kendrick’s father ‘axing’ about his dominoes on ‘Sherane’) they get very dark, very quickly – as do the topics that Kendrick is rapping about, and without spoiling the narrative, the climax of the album, both musically and in regards to the narrative comes on ‘Swimming Pools (Drank)’.

Swimming Pools’ very dark and brooding atmosphere, provided through the very subdued and airy synths combined with the deadpan: “sit down (drank), stand up (drank)…” sets it apart from the very mellow and, for lack of a better word, sensual songs that come before it; for example ‘Poetic Justice’ which features, bizarrely, Drake. Despite my initial reaction when reading the track-listing, he works very nicely on the track, and doesn’t feel out of place on what is essentially a west-coast gangster rap album.

As a rapper, Kendrick comes into his own on this record. Whilst some might have accused him of having limited emotions (only really showing it on the end of ‘Keisha’s Song’ off of Section.80) and vocal styles, he experiments with sounds, both rapping as his conscience, a younger him, or an on-the-edge-of-tears voice, which adds a lot to the variety of the tracks. Lyrically, he spits lines as verbose and deep as they are funny and relatable – there isn’t a particular facet of flair to his style that is worth commenting on, but he is certainly consistent, and frankly, excellent.

For people that listened to Section.80, it may not come as a surprise (think the “Everybody heard that I fuck with Dre…” verse on ‘The Spiteful Chant’) to find that Dr. Dre was an executive producer on this album, and though he was not directly responsible for any of the tracks, his influence is present be it through the g-funk sounds on ‘The Art of Peer Pressure’ or the feature on the closer, ‘Compton’. Regardless of who was leading on tracks though, the beats on this album are very memorable and have some excellent, hard hitting percussion.

What makes this album truly stand out however, is the story telling. As I alluded to, this is a concept album, and the entire album feels like a story – a bad day followed by a bad night out, and the retelling or reminiscing of it. The album doesn’t have a dull point, from the gospel tones of ‘Sing About Me/ I’m Dying of Thirst’ to the chilled ‘Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe’; every track is integral to the feel of the “m.A.Ad. City”.

When Kendrick bragged that this album was a classic waiting for enough time to pass in order for it to be recognised as such, he wasn’t blowing hot air – just as in his raps, he was being real. Hip-hop fan or not, it’s very hard to not appreciate this, much like Kanye’s MBDTF, an album which GKMC has a lot in common with – a classic, and undoubtedly an album that will be remembered as a definitive hip hop release.

Get this.

10/10

Jeffrey Berraoui