Nothing Great About Britain – Slowthai
Finca Edition
Disclaimer: At the time of review, we did not realise this was a double album, and our opinions of it changed quite significantly after the fact. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.
Harry
I was very much excited by the prospect of a fire album by another British rapper after Little Simz’s release earlier this year. My expectation was solely based on the attention Slowthai was receiving and so had no clue what the album would sound like. The opening tracks up to Inglorious is absolutely jam packed with sonic and lyrical excellence. Slowthai has a delivery that reminds me of Jamie T. His tone seems to subtly morph, spanning aggressive to pained and even contemplative at points, whilst maintaining cohesion. This allows him to string together the most extraordinary varied collection of beats and instrumentals. The songs are dense with hilarious one-liners and commentary on culture and British life. Sadly, following this truly extraordinary start, I’m honestly not sure what he brings to the table. It’s a game of two halves.
73/100
Zach
Exemplary debut album in its construction. Having heard nothing about Slowthai, I am so pleased that this album has really really impressed me. It is very ambitious for such a new artist to take on such a project, but his ambition and bravery has paid off. The primary aspect of bravery that shines through is the theme and subject matter. To make a statement like ‘Nothing Great About Britain’ and follow it through with an album full of lyrics that are accusatory, challenging, honest and introspective simultaneously is a significant achievement, especially for a debut album. Furthermore, the beats aren’t generic trap/grime beats but they are incredibly complex and varied, adding to the rich and interesting listen. Moreover, the features towards the middle are well placed and FLAMES. My main criticism is that this album is too long. Its not easily digestible and at 51 mins it slows down at the end. However very exciting stuff from a very exciting artist.
Spazzy McGee 