Rating: NN
The worlds of slick, soulful pop and over-the-top dancehall beats come together on 26-year-old Sheffield producer Tom “Toddla T” Bell’s Ninja Tune debut, an album that vacillates between raucous and refined without losing sight of the dance floor.
There are splashes of 80s hi-NRG and 90s pop-house (a revivalist sound that has worn out its welcome), but it’s strongest when riding straight-up reggae riddims. Clubby collaborations with Roots Manuva and Skream are okay, but better is Timberlee’s vocal turn on Body Good, a spacious sex jam that sounds like a patois version of Cassie. And while the hiccuppy percussion of Lovely Girl is fun, after a while the songwriting feels formulaic.
Roisin Murphy (ex-Moloko) is right at home in a grinding mid-tempo dancehall beat and scores the best track, the short and sweet pop pleasure that is Cherry Picking.
Top track: Cherry Picking
