Search - Roll Deep :: In at the Deep End

Roll Deep's Album, is Easily their best Chance, of Winning o

fetish_2000 | U.K. | 08/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The 'Roll Deep' Crew, is a UK based 'East - London' collective (Totalling some 13 members), the comprises of MC's/Rappers, Producers and Beat Arrangers, that could at one time count 'Dizziee Rascal' as part of their line-up (He has since left). They have long since been a prominent figure in the U.K. Garage/Grime/2-Step scene, with plenty of deserved Kudos for their underground work. But since Dizzee Rascal has (to some degree) softened mainstream U.K. ears to the Violate, Energetic & off-kilter sound of British Garage's sub-genre 'Grime' (as it's now more commonly known). The time seems perfect for the collective to release their own album, to cash in on the markets acceptance of the genre. The Roll Deep crew, centres around key figure "Wiley" (MC/Producer). Wiley himself released a solo album, with 2004's "Treddin' on Thin Ice", which was critically applauded, but from poor commerical sales.



Now....Wiley was smart enough to realise that realising a 'Roll Deep' album that mirrored the cold, Ominous and Fractured sound that drove "Treddin' on Thin Ice", would equally end in failure (and with no doubt, growing concern from the record label). He has in fact scaled back on the sparse beats, occasionally confrontational lyrics, and aggressive mood, and crafted a cleverly devised album that is unashamedly geared towards a wide mainstream market. With obvious concessions to making Bids for mass-market Radio Airplay, other than just the underground pirate radio stations. There are still tracks that reference the occasional dense and unorthodox programming/beat arrangement of the underground sounds, but this is by and large a concerted effort to crack the notoriously difficult (and fickle) mainstream market, with an album that blurs the line between: Pop, R&B, British Garage, U.K. Hip-Hop Ragga, Grime, Nu-Soul & Electronica.



"Flying Away" is an introduction, that by and large, merely urges listeners to 'Be their own individuals', and forget trying to 'Copy or Emulate other people', and remain unique to yourself. Before it's onto..."The Avenue", with its rolling female vocal and 60's Soul-pop influence, this track is completely ripped off, from 80's Pop one hit wonder act "The Maisonettes", and the mood is one that is unapologetically upbeat, with extremely feel-good summery cheerful mood, and soaring harmonies, underlaid to work as a decidedly attention grabbing experimental-pop track, with MC 'Alex Mills' MCing over the harmonised arrangement. Imagine if 'Dizzee Rascal rapped over the "Beach Boys - Good Vibrations", for a fair idea of what to expect. (or to a lesser degree...imagine Dizzee's own "Dream" track of his second album, for an idea of this sort of MC/Pop fusion track). But undeniably the whole thing, is both a highly impressive production track for the Roll Deep Crew to pull off, and a thinly disguised Radio friendly single, that'll attract a whole set of listeners, that have never heard of Roll Deep. And although the hardcore Garage/Grime audience may shout screams of 'Sell-out', it truly deserves a wider audience.



"Show You"...moves more into a smooth R&B crossover, than the previous track with a reverberating bass, and delicately plucked guitar elegantly getting the proceedings off to a healthy start, it's the vocal contribution of female vocalist "Jenna G", with her passionate chorus of "I'll Shoooow You", fighting ably against the rapid-fire delivery of the MC's that impresses, with the mood one of a celebratory tone, but not forgetting that all important ability to reflect a strong urban style, and this is a track, that is a show of strength, with the crew aptly dismissing all comers and lyrically eulogising the strengths of the Roll Deep Crew. "Be Careful" is possibly a concession to some of the hardcore/underground listeners of the album, in a track that is mostly MC driven track, with a simple, sparse repeated keyboard arrangement, coupled with a subdued synth, frequently entering in and out of the instrumental beat, over which the M.C's effectively rattle off Rhymes, in which it's probably important to mention that the wordplay of the MC/Rappers thoroughout the album is sufficiently skilled, moving less towards aggressive posturing, and more as a efficient unit. The sparse production works well here, and feels more authentically derived from the underground sound, that the crew evolved from, and yet with the album mindful, that this could be most listeners foray into Grime/British Garage, the well-judged female vocal that bursts intermittently throughout the track, softens any hard-edges, that the stripped down arrangements may bring.



The rest of the tracks embellish the album with the diversity that most album artists (especially in this field) would kill for....whether its slow paced relatively relaxed numbers ("Good Girl") featuring currently favourable grime MC "Kano". Brooding and eerily produced tracks that getting progressively more hostile, but have an undeniable vitality ("When I'm Ere'"), or even tracks that aren't purely about gun-totting & negativity, and lean towards a more positive, even mildly amusing attitude ("Bus Stop"), and there's even a nod the the tag-team vocal interplay of something like the heady old School rap of 'Grandmaster Flash's - The Message', on the sublime "Remember The Day".



For a album, that hasn't come from a big name producer or a large production company/label, it's incredibly impressive, what the Roll Deep Collective have managed to perform here. It's a wide ranging album, that is designed to snag as many listeners as possible. And although something so obviously watered down for mainstream consumption, with be condemned by those that have followed the Crew since their early days is understandable. For those of you that have considered the harsh, abrasive beats, deafening bass, and impenetrable or inaccessibility lyrics of 'Grime', a valid reason to avoid the genre until now, this album is aimed squarely at you. It remains resolutely accessible, inventive, and feels less like being shouted at, whilst being clobbered around the head, with an inflatable toy hammer for an hour. For me personally I'm just a much a fan of the more inaccessible/abrasive work of "Dizzee Rascal" & "Wiley", and whether this album manages to crack the mainstream market remains to be seen....but it's going to take a incredibly Po-faced listener to not acknowledge the considerable efforts pumped into this sublime album. Highly recommended!!!



P.s. Remember the buy the 2-CD version of this album, which comes packaged with a Bonus DVD"