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Album Review
by SashaS
30-9-2003
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| So Solid Crew pose for 'Second Verse' |
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So Solid Crew: 'Second Verse'
(Independiente)
So Solid Crew dig truer on second set
The attention So Solid Crew have attracted offstage has certainly marred their musical output and their debut album was obscured by arrests, gun-charges, prison sentences, violence-association and a number of solo projects by members. (Lisa Maffia appears to have done the best out of it that earned a MOBO Award as well.)
‘Second Verse’ is the album that should redress the balance because it is all about music and the 17 tracks here show that the band is advancing forward. After the ‘Intro’, we get ‘First Verse’ that is spartan, taut, claustrophobic and the first mini-mastepiece. ‘Angry Beats’ sound a bit more like the bad days, reflecting on the street ‘culture’, with the rap vibe more prominent, as well as on the following track, ‘So Grimey’.
So Solid Crew combine catchy melody with beats that are infectious and guided by germane images, observations, messages… But, the big question is whether they’ve been played out by the media’s coverage, whether they’ve been made to be ‘Rebels Without A Cause’, or with a clause? Music claims the latter but public is way too fickle and the general interest appears to be toward either Dizzee Rascal’s vision or digging the retro-trash that is The Darkness or feeding schadenfreude with the ‘Pop Idol’ and ‘Fame Academy’ malice, i.e. – being totally disconnected from anything econo-socio-political.
There is a real concern for casual consumer hearts’ allegiance as indolence and indifference reign and the key daily business is being centred on ‘moi’ micro-universes. But then, once in Australia’s outback I realised that fashion, trendy restaurants and hip artists have little meaning when your first priority is to survive against nature, poisonous flora and deadly fauna, as well as other (hostile) humans while fighting off perma-hangover under the relentless sunrays. The point being that Brixton is as real to an Aussie as is Io. Alas, any artform only corresponds with people it’s supposed to.
‘How It Is’, the title track, ‘Tug Anthem’, blast volumes, ‘Bou Bas + Remix’ serves brilliant bouquet of noises that ends quite like a Wu-Tang Clan homage; ‘Leave Us Alone’ rings with aggressive pleading over a funky pace, ‘Colder’ brings reggae-ish rhythm with strings, children’s choir and an utterly super melody – da dope… This is not only ‘Broken Silence’ but also a continuation of a dialogue that started so successfully with a debut, before being sidetracked into a ‘spectacle of ghetto-ism’.
SSC’s reputation is notoriety. ‘Second Verse’ argues their case by being about music; thus, they are ready for some real fame as this album proves beyond the Valley of the Shadow of Television...
8/10
SashaS
30-9-2003
So Solid Crew’s album ‘Second Verse’ is released 29 September 2003 on Independiente
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