2 slightly different takes on Crown, the new single by Stormzy: Take One When Stormzy released his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer the one track that grabbed attention more than any other was the gospel tinged beauty Blinded By Your Grace Part 2. It was a song so full of soul it found people who didn’t normally like grime proclaiming their love for it. Now with album two on its way and Stormzy’s forthcoming potentially career defining Glastonbury headline performance on the horizon, it’s really important for him to release something that’s up there with Blinded By Your Grace Part 2. So throw in some more gospel, a topical reference to Boris Johnson and Stormzy saying that he struggles to find the words to describe how important the song is to him and Crown immediately is cast with a sense of gravitas and authenticity that define Stormzy as an important artist ready to sell a massive load of records. The fact that it’s a track that deals with the pressures that have come with his success make it all the more appealing as it certainly isn't going to slow with this one. Take Two Crown is a bloody good track. Great personal lyrics. Great Tune. Forget everything else and just listen to the music. Anybody that says he’s not worthy of a Glastonbury headline slot clearly doesn’t understand contemporary pop music and culture in the UK. I’m confident he’s going to smash it.
A Grime album might not be the sort of thing you expect to see in a list of my favourite records of 2017. Pop? Sure. Indie? Almost definitely. Folk? Highly likely. But maybe not Grime. However, the way I listen to music these days, thanks to streaming services, has changed everything. Now there’s no need to play safe. You can have a go at listening to virtually anything and find the good and great stuff in any genre, from any time period if you want to. Gang Signs & Prayer certainly fits the category of good and great. Why do I like it so much? Because it’s not just a series of claustrophobic heavy hitting bangers thrown together with little consideration as to how it will work as an album. Gang Signs & Prayer is a multi-faceted, layered album of some magnitude that shows a vulnerable and highly likeable side to Stormzy. From its referencing of The Last Supper on the cover artwork, to tracks that feature gospel, soul and talk about big subjects like mental health, his mother’s unconditional love and religion, Stormzy goes in deep. If that all sounds like it might be a little too over emo, there’s also humour and plenty of bravado as well with bangers like Shut Up, Big For Your Boots and Mr Skeng. Ultimately what makes Gang Signs & Prayer such a good record is the balance of the tracks, Stormzy’s personality and of course his lyrical delivery – either rapped or sung. Even if you’re not a fan of Grime, this one is worth a listen. Stormzy - Blinded By Your Grace Pt2 Ft MNEK
Late last year I put up a post explaining that there was likely to be a slow down in the frequency of posts whilst my partner underwent surgery and chemotherapy for cancer. Whilst things have dwindled a tiny bit, I’m pleased that I’ve managed to keep Breaking More Waves running with more efficiency than I thought possible. There were 30 posts in January and this is the 18th and final one in February. However, there has been a lot of music that I didn’t find the time to write about, so here’s a catch up with some of those missed tracks that surfaced this week. Sunken – Recompose
Perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons, Recompose by brother sister duo Finn Billingham and sister Poppy Billingham aka Sunken perfectly captures the sound of South East London; all jazzy grooves, a hint of drum and bass and a mix of soft organic sounds together with something a little more urban. Add to that a vocal that has some similarity to Lily Allen, by way of its pleasing effortless quality and you’ve got a song that’s perfect to just kick back and enjoy.
Elaskia – Mine Australian band Elaskia have been biding their time. Having uploaded two covers and an original about a year ago, there hasn’t been anything since, but now on the back of a recent Jagwar Ma support there’s a new song called Mine. Don’t be fooled by its mellow shadowy sound that falls somewhere between the likes of a darker London Grammar and Broods, for this is a passionate song and not for the faint hearted: “You’re a cannibal you eat my heart out,” sings vocalist Kelly Griffith at one point. Tasty.
Caroline Lazar – Nevermine In the opening line of her debut song Caroline Lazar sings of being shown how to start a fire. It’s a good metaphor for this track, which starts from sparse musical kindling before it rages into a powerful inferno in under 3 minutes. Currently studying in Miami, Caroline will be releasing her debut EP on March 24th via My Little Empire.
Stormzy – Blinded By Your Grace, Part 2 (feat. MNEK) The release of Stormzy’s album is a bit of a revelation. Those expecting an assault of non-stop foot to the floor grime bangers might be a little surprised, because Gang Signs & Prayer is much more than that. Rather like Breaking More Waves One to Watch for 2017 Dave, Stormzy’s debut is as much an introspective and reflective work as it is punchy outward hitting grime. It’s my personal stand-out record of the year so far. Take a listen to the gospel sounds of Blinded By Your Grace, Part 2, to see how there’s much more to Stormzy than just Shut Up.
