| 
Review: Jack Foley
IT TAKES something a little bit special to drag the sound of
East London's grime scene into the mainstream.
Roll Deep recently
managed it by setting some hard urban beats and raps against some
well-chosen samples and melodies.
Now comes Kano (aka Kane Robinson), the 19-year-old MC and street
poet, who cleverly transcends a difficult genre to broaden his
appeal.
Home Sweet Home is a mixed bag of an album - one that's
undeniably rooted in the streets of Kano's upbringing, but one
which is savvy enough not to become constrained by such boundaries.
The style is reminiscent, at times, of the likes of Dizzee Rascal
and The Streets, yet it's wider appeal comes down to Kano's wicked
ability to mix it up a bit.
Hence, the hard-rock style of former hit single, Typical
Me, a cautionary confessional that sees Kano shrugging his
shoulders outside the Ministry after being thrown out by steroid-pumped
bouncers ('I’m trying hard not to be aggressive but it’s
just one of those days/ a typical situation encountered by our
nation’s youth countless times up and down the UK every
weekend').
Or the samba and horns which accompany Remember Me,
another shamelessly catchy effort that indulges Kano's cheeky
style.
There are times when the album fails to pull off the trick as
seamlessly as it might, with several tracks resorting to bog-standard
grime rhythms and rhymes, or over-ambitious blending of styles.
I Don't Know Why is an uneasy mix of rap and glam-rock
style guitars, while the Ibiza-style dance vibe surrounding Nobody
Don't Dance No More sends a shiver down the spine.
Bonus track, Boys Love Girls, is also rooted in the
style of early Dizzee Rascal and The Streets, which I have always
found groan-inducing.
But in the main, you have to tip your hat to Kano for daring
to do something different from the norm.
Home Sweet Home is therefore an album with unlikely
crossover appeal that serves as a significant showcase for a rapidly
emerging talent.
It may possess a few too many home comforts, but it's well worth
paying a visit.
|
