Since bursting onto the grime scene in 2004, 25-year-old East London MC
Kano has produced records with the likes of
Mike Skinner,
Damon Albarn, and
Craig David, and provided guest appearances on albums by
Chase & Status,
Gorillaz, and
Shy FX. His fourth studio release,
Method to the Maadness, continues his collaborative tendencies, hooking him up with the likes of quirky synth pop outfit
Hot Chip, Jamaican dancehall artist
Vybz Kartel, and the Godfather of Grime,
Wiley, on an eclectic 13 tracks, which
Kano argues are his most experimental to date. Opening tracks "2 Left: Topic of Discussion," a formulaic blend of languid beats, Fisher-Price production, and jarring
Lil Wayne-esque elongated vocals, and the ubiquitous urban electro sounds of "Get Wild," suggest otherwise. But once the brief radio phone-in skit, "iPod Generation," and the generic, guitar-laced "Maad" are out of the way,
Method to the Maadness begins to live up to its creator's claims. "Spaceship" is a cautionary tale on the merits of fame set against a backdrop of brooding dubstep rhythms and hypnotic kaleidoscopic glockenspiels, the
Damon Albarn-produced "Bassment" is a head-nodding slice of authentic, minimal '80s-style hip-hop reminiscent of seminal rap pioneer
Afrika Bambaataa, while closing track "Dark Days" is an introspective, ambient electronica epic featuring a soaring
Tears for Fears-style new wave chorus. Best of all is the defiant "Upside," which brilliantly fuses
Kano's frenetic lyrical delivery with old-school brass production and
Michelle Breeze's vulnerable but engaging vocals. The teaming up with
Hot Chip, "All + All Together," which must have looked like a potential standout on paper is, in reality, a rather disappointingly pedestrian attempt at electro-dancehall, while the witty lyricism of
the Ghetts-featuring "Lady Killer" can't mask its irritating, high-pitched Batman-theme-styled instrumentation. Contrary to what its title suggests,
Method to the Maadness' sprawling inconsistencies appear to highlight the complete lack of method in his madness, but apart from the predictable opening third of the disc, it's a highly inventive effort which refuses to compromise his genre-straddling sensibilities.