AJ Tracey, album review: Rapper's debut LP is his most cohesive work to date

While the west London MC recognises his roots and includes plenty of nods to grime, his magpie’s eye for a good melody or hook extends far beyond that. Also reviewed this week: Ward Thomas – Restless Minds

West London rapper AJ Tracey

AJ Tracey, AJ Tracey

★★★★☆

There is no better innovation in UK music right now than in its flourishing rap scene. With each release, young MCs are finding new, bold ways to develop their music, whether that is through interesting collaborations or by including the broadest range of influences imaginable.

For west London’s AJ Tracey and his debut, self-titled album, it is largely about the latter. While he recognises his roots and includes plenty of nods to grime, his magpie’s eye for a good melody or hook extends far beyond that. With the help of stellar producers like Cadenza (Kiko Bun), Swifta Beater (Kano, Giggs), and Nyge (Section Boyz, Yxng Bane), Tracey incorporates electronic music, rock, garage and even country on his most cohesive work to date.

“Plan B”, the first track the 24-year-old recorded for the album, recalls French producer Fakear’s work with cool, icy beats that evoke the loneliness, but also the determination, that Tracey felt during a trip to New York two years ago: “Now I’m in demand, now I’m in demand / Fader talking ’bout me they think I’m the man / Paigons think I’ll fall, I’ve got another plan.”

On “Country Star” there’s a swift drill beat (Tracey refers to it as “country drill”) that rumbles beneath his detached delivery on the melancholic refrain. It feels like a deliberate companion to Post Malone’s hit “Rockstar” – and the next track, “Psych Out!” (“You couldn’t play me if you wanted, I’m a rockstar/ Just got a plaque for singing, mami I’m a pop star”), only seems to confirm that.

The variety and scale of ambition on this album is breathtaking. Fans will be surprised to discover Tracey sings almost as much as he raps, in pleasingly gruff tones. Each track is a standout, none more so than “Ladbroke Grove”, a hat-tip to classic garage in which Tracey switches up his flow to emulate a Nineties MC. It’s a thrilling work. Roisin O’Connor

Ward Thomas, Restless Minds

★★☆☆☆

There’s something about sisters: their vocal harmonies often sound uniquely gorgeous. Twins Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas have capitalised on that with two albums of country pop, but Restless Minds sees them decisively move towards the latter. But under the high-gloss, wipe-clean production, both their syrupy ballads and peppier chart fodder feel rather effortful.

Their vocals often sound strangely forced, with that strained rise up the register as verses turn into huge major-key choruses. “One More Goodbye” makes my throat ache in sympathy. The stronger moments are actually the gentler ones, where their soft harmonies or a country twang come through.

Lyrically, Ward Thomas press so many hot buttons there’s a risk of singed fingertips: a lot of the songs are about the staged, hollow fakery of social media, and its impact on mental health. They want us to open up and be honest with each other, only connect (just not to the internet). This works best on “Lie Like Me”, a fizzing, chirpily insistent take-down of Instagramming sunsets and your outfit of the week. But it also leads to on-the-nose sermonising and bland platitudes, as if “no filter” equates to radical honesty. Despite its pleas for authenticity, Restless Minds comes across as disappointingly generic pop fare. Holly Williams