In 2018, the south London trio continue to disassociate themselves with rap trends coming out of the U.K. capital, and while they aren't exactly reinventing the wheel, their distinct flow and adventurous production deserve to be celebrated. Unfortunately, by carving their own path they also avoid the kind of overnight success that bandwagon provides. They seem to understand that they must work many times harder than their peers to create the music they want to make, with every full-length release upping the standards considerably.
Although this is more of a mini-album, it stands out as their most consistent; outside of the intro, outro, and an interlude, there may only be six tracks here, but they all hit home and could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with their incredibly popular track "Suede Jaw," which was featured on their 2015 album Billy's Home. One criticism of their previous records is that they can often feel bloated, flitting between lighter and darker tones, whereas here, tracks such as "Flexing (Side A)" and "Top Flow" keep proceedings light and agile.
When I'm About You'll Know is in fact the first of two parts, with the second being double in length and suffering from the same issues as previous releases. If this mini album proves anything it's that they benefit from condensed, concise run-times. Even though the sheer abundance of ideas is a strength, this stream-lined version of themselves is easy to recommend as a starting point into their world. ~ Liam Martin