MUSIC | Records
ALBUM OF THE ISSUE
HIP HOP KOBI ONYAME Gold (self-released) ●●●●● INDIE FOLK OUT LINES Conflats (Rock Action Records) ●●●●●
Kobi Onyame is by no means a new face in the Scottish contemporary music scene, with two albums behind him and an impressive resume that includes support slots for the likes of Kanye West and Nas. But with his new release, the Glasgow- based Ghanaian rapper has entered fresh territory, and in doing so, firmly positioned himself at the forefront of Scottish hip hop.
Gold is not your typical modern-day hip hop record. It refrains from falling into the trap of over-production and over-saturation, instead relying heavily on West African sounds and rhythms for impact. The references to Ghanaian highlife and early Fela Kuti are apparent throughout, such as in the colourful ‘Imminence (Only Matter of Time O)’ with its dynamic brass accompaniment and twinkling percussion section. Brass plays a prominent role on Gold, a nod to the horns in traditional highlife, giving the album a vibrancy that lifts it immensely.
Elsewhere, guest appearances add an interesting flavour to
some tracks, for example the mellow ‘Chosen Ones’ with Ghanaian rapper M.anifest and ‘Wedadi’, on which the velvety vocals of Heir of the Cursed run in parallel with Onyame’s own melody, coalescing seamlessly in between his rapped verses. Closing track ‘Still We Rise’ does something similar, with Wanlov the Kubolor’s rhymes working in response to Onyame’s and vice versa. The track epitomises much of the album’s primary themes: the idea of fighting for what you believe in and remaining vigilant in the face of adversity. Gold is an intelligent record in its defiant lyrical commentary but it also creates an interesting bridge between Onyame’s Ghanaian heritage and hip hop / grime leanings. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Out Fri 1 Sep.
At only seven tracks, and bearing a similarly sombre tone throughout, thanks to the continuing presence of a mournful accordion and striking vocal performances, Out Lines’ debut album feels more like an extended EP. Yet the abilities at the heart of the record and the biographies of the people behind it are so perfectly matched that it’s hard to escape the sense that this is one of the tentpole records to come out of Scotland this year.
Out Lines are a trio, although the keys points of focus are the voices at the heart of the project, and they’re what elevate it to something worthy of wider attention. The singers in question are Kathryn Joseph, past winner of the Scottish Album of the Year Award, and James Graham, lead singer of The Twilight Sad, and there are parallels to be drawn between both as artists who only came to real success and recognition later in life. Together they sound so evenly matched, with Graham possessing a dry,
folksy tone and Joseph bearing a distinctive, prickly voice; it feels lazy to compare it to Kate Bush, because she’s the acme of female vocal references, but it’s true. The pair’s voices possess the kind of richness which only age and experience can bring. The trio is rounded off by producer Marcus Mackay, former member of The Reindeer Section and owner of the Diving Bell Lounge recording studio and Hits the Fan Records, who discovered Joseph and Frightened Rabbit.
Under his ear, the album gathers a kind of rootsy post- rock sensibility, with droning accordion and clattering drums combining on ‘Our Beloved Dead’; those voices left to lead over a rising acoustic guitar line on ‘There is a Saved Place’; and epic, guitar-washed indie balladry emerging on ‘Open Shut’ and ‘These Three Desire Lines’. The permanence of the project is uncertain, but it would be good to hear it taken further in future. (David Pollock) ■ Out Fri 27 Oct.
INDIE FOLK RODDY WOOMBLE The Deluder (A Modern Way/Empty Words) ●●●●● HIP HOP TOO MANY T’S South City (South City Records) ●●●●●
Roddy Woomble’s solo career began in the mid 2000s, seemingly a vehicle for his trad leanings, which had, in turn, seen Idlewild veer away from the noisy indie of their formative years toward a more contemplative folk-flavoured sound. While solo records Listen to Keep and The Impossible Song and Other Songs had drifted away from the strict folk confines of his beautiful solo debut, My Secret is My Silence, The Deluder comes as a bolt from the blue. Gone are the folk ballads, largely replaced by a collection of 80s-tinged alternative tracks.
Sparse opener ‘Look Back Like Leaving’ lurches along, calling to mind Various Positions-era Leonard Cohen, at the same time showing that Woomble has lost none of his ability to turn a phrase. Similarly, ‘A Skull with a Teardrop’s hesitant delivery and discordant keys continues this use of space in the arrangement, all but stopping more than once to create an air of film noir. Equally cinematic is ‘On N’a Plus de Temps’, an ethereal duet sung mostly in French with Hannah Fisher providing celestial accompanying vox. References throughout are by turns esoteric and oblique; in ‘Caruso’ the
subject’s life is compared with early 20th-century tenor Enrico Caruso, while ‘Feel Like a Fool’ contains the wonderfully cryptic line 'It’s like that / I’ve told you that / So many words and they all mean something like that'.
Hip hop as a genre has many strands, ranging from the old school rap of masters like Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa to the politically conscious social activism of Public Enemy. Within this wide spectrum, there is a crossover that exists between hip hop and comedy, with the incorporation of humour and parody made popular by acts like the Beastie Boys. Although Too Many T’s are often labelled as ‘Britain’s answer to the Beastie Boys’, the south London duo’s output can be seen as more of a mix of different styles, from the intelligent and satirical lyricism of Ugly Duckling to the ironic and quirky verses of Eminem and Detroit collective D12.
Their debut album South City may not be serious in its overall message or focus but its intentions are not to be meditative or profound in any real way. Instead, there is an emphasis on its high-energy and tongue-in-cheek make up, as evident on tracks like ‘Sixty’s Ford’ and the funk-infused ‘Hang Tight’. There isn’t a huge amount of substance here, but there is obvious skill in Leon Rhymes and Standaloft’s interplay and rapid-fire bursts of call and response. ‘God Save The T’s’ is an excellent example, with its fast and furious flows adding hints of grime into the mix above more 90s-era instrumentation. Though submerged in positive vibes from start to finish, ‘Patterns’ is the one
‘Jupiter’ was released as a single back in June and begins with Postcard- style post-punk before introducing a chorus that’s uncannily reminiscent of Elvis
exception on the album, offering a moment of solemnity with its gentle and ambient electronic backing. It’s an atypical but welcome addition that adds
Costello, a feat that’s achieved again in ‘I’ll Meet You by the Memorial’, along with some distinctly new-wavey goth-rock synth sounds in the outro. While ‘Remember to Breathe’ and closing track ‘Floating on a River’ are much closer to previous solo territory, and the chorus of ‘First Love is Never Returned’ could be latter day Idlewild, The Deluder remains an eye-opening departure, executed with no shortage of style and wit. (Joe McManus) ■ Out Fri 1 Sep.
a sense of variation from which the whole album could have benefited. While South City certainly
features the kind of playfulness that is characteristic of Licensed to Ill and Paul's Boutique-era Beastie Boys, there are elements which position Too Many T’s’ sound and output firmly within the British musical landscape. It may not be groundbreaking, but South City is still a feelgood, animated and lyrically slick release. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Out Fri 15 Sep.
72 THE LIST 1 Sep–31 Oct 2017