Kenny Allstar: Block Diaries album review

Kenny Allstar has been a dominant figure in the world of UK Urban, Grime and Drill for as long as we can all remember. He runs ‘Mad About Bars’ while running a show on 1Xtra – he can do it all.

But, has Allstar’s new studio album met the incredibly high standards that he has set for himself on all his other platforms?

The album opens up with ‘Love the Game’ which features The Streets and Not3s. It’s an intense opening track which uses the iconic voice of The Streets very effectively. Not3s comes in with his own afro vocals which slot in nicely.

Kenny Allstar’s beat is good here, it has a very strong opening track feel to it, it is definitely just an album track and I’d be extremely surprised if this was Kenny’s next official single, even with Not3s in it.

The first single from the album, ‘Tracksuit Love’ featuring Headie One follows the opening song on the album, not much to say on this one, as I’m sure everyone who has listened to this album heard ‘Tracksuit Love’ ages ago. Nice track nevertheless.

Throughout the listening of this album, I was subconsciously comparing it to Charlie Sloth’s album, ‘The Plug’. But right from the get go of Block Diaries I could see that this was a very Drill orientated album. Which is cool – but I doubt it’s going to get the same commercial recognition of Charlie Sloth’s project.

Track number 3 is one of my favourite songs from the album. ‘Stepped In (Sexy Back)’, featuring Suspect, Afro B and Swift is much more of an afro type beat. I was excited to see Suspect being on the feature list on this album, and his flow is sick, especially over a more afro type beat.

Suspect also features in track 7 ‘Cocoon’ which also includes Nafe Smallz. This is where the album makes the transition from a very varied album, towards a more of a drill oriantated album. Suspect again lay his verse down well. Am I convinced by Nafe Smallz however? I’m not sure.

If Kenny was going to go for a Drill sound for the majority of this project then he needed to get some serious names on the feature list. He definitely did for track 10 ‘Tryna Do Me’ which features SL. I’m a huge fan of SL, and on this track he sticks to his own style and Kenny facilities for that perfectly, with a sick beat with heavy bass and some light keys on the piano.

My favourite song from the album is track 16 which features the chief, M Huncho. Huncho has a very exciting future coming, I have been a huge fan of him since he dropped the ’48 Hours’ EP. Again, it’s more of a drill beat again but Huncho comes with a different energy which turns a standard drill beat into his own vibe which nobody can replicate. I can definitely see M Huncho working with Kenny Allstar in the future, and I think Kenny would be stupid not to.

As a whole, the album is good. It is produced really well with a good variety of different beats – even if the majority are drill beats. As I said, It’s hard to not subconsciously compare this album to Charlie Sloth’s project. However they are both so different – and this album especially shows that DJ’s can be producers – and I hope this Kenny Allstar projects encourages more DJ’s to switch lanes in their careers every so often.

Rating: 3/5

Written by Jack Lynch

 

 

 

Noname: Room 25 review

I first discovered Noname through her NPR Tiny Desk Concert on YouTube and I have been hooked ever since. Her debut album ‘Telefone’ was stunning start to finish, so I was itching to get stuck into the new project.

The album starts off with ‘Self’ which starts with the iconic Noname style with a slow jazz-infused beat, with soft vocals with an incredible flow slotting over it perfectly. The mellowness is what I love about Noname and it adopts that vibe right from the get go.

The whole album itself has a live band feel about it all the way through. This is seen especially in track 3, ‘Prayer Song’ featuring Adam Ness. With a classic church choir sound coming through in the ad-libs, the harmonising juxtaposes the heavy flow that Noname is going for in this song. Don’t get me wrong, it is difficult to sit and listen to it word for word, but it’s all about the vibe and I felt it right away.

“Me so happy, me so Mississippi” the opening line of track 4, ‘Window’ featuring Phoelix enters a story into a deeper meaning of Noname’s life. I like this song, it clarifies the journey that the American has come through in her career. A chilled loved song – showing that Noname is still using the same personal inspirations for her music, which I love. We are still getting an insight into the emotional and love-stricken background of the rapper, but without too much context which still keeps us thinking.

Track 8, ‘Ace’ features Smino and Saba. The features give this a groovy, old-school 90’s R&B feel to it. The beat is deep, with overlapping church choir harmonies. It’s a short song, which made me want to listen to it again to fully grasp the meanings behind this one. Its OK. All I could imagine during this one is that a Chance the Rapper feature would work perfectly. Maybe for the next album.

My favourite song on the album is track 10, ‘With You’. This really took me back to the vibe of the first album. The unorthodox beat sequences on the drums make it different yet it just does work. It’s another emotional one from Noname – but that is where I think she is at her best. By the sounds of it, she has written this song whilst possibly being on tour. It’s soft whilst being rugged. It stays in-between the lines. For me this was the first song on the album that really did touch me.

The album ends with the 11th song, “no name”. This features Yaw and Adam Ness. It is a stunning, simple beat that uses the simpleness of a few light keys on a piano with a bass pedal from the drum kit. This is musically the best song that has been put together on the album. I didn’t relate to it on the same level as ‘With You’ but I couldn’t help but appreciate the musical talent that Noname has in her band. The vocals are smooth and it is an all-round really well put together ending track to the album.

I really enjoyed this album. Was it as good as the first – I’m not too sure. But, it has been brilliantly produced and although the whole album is on the same vibe, each song is very different, which I like. But after listening to the album, I am still a big fan of Noname, and I a sure I will be listening to the album again.

Rating: 3/5

Written by, Jack Lynch