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9 out of 10
Eclectic is very much the name of the game here. But not eclectic on the "annoying mish mash of disparate ideas" kinda way, eclectic in a much more coherent, streamlined way. Can you imagine Blur playing whilst a combination of Mike Skinner and a sober Shaun Ryder raps and sings then you won't be too far away. It's not that Trip really sounds like the Happy Mondays singer, but he has very much the same confident swagger and flair, and there's definitely more than a hint of the Madchester vibe going on there.
The music itself is obviously something of a departure from the usual hip hop samples and beats, employing as it does what sounds like a full band amongst the synthesizers, and it really works well. Rap and guitars is all too rarely a successful combination, but here it excels. The laid back indie rock hooks compliment Trip's relaxed flow really well, and leaves plenty of space for the lyrics to shine through. And shine they really do - clever and funny, but also seemingly effortless - Trip really is a natural at this, few lyricists seem to put together songs which combine humour and a real emotional connection quite so well.
This is rapidly turning into one of my albums of the year so far, it really is a corker. At first I wasn't quite so keen on the slower songs, but they're very much growers, and the humour and summery vibe serves only to reinforce that.
Listen: www.myspace.com/tripskingdom
Tracklist:
1. Applecheeks
2. Rented
3. Laundromat
4. Go Away
5. Break the Jukebox
6. River Phoenix
7. Olympic Breakfast
8. Breathe
9. Summer Sundays
10. The Gambler
11. Who's That
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