Young Fathers
White Men Are Black Men Too
April 6 2015 (Big Dada)
7.5/10
Words: Alison Mack
Once you win any kind of award there's always a lot resting on your next effort. So, just a few months after they scooped the Mercury Prize with 'DEAD', Edinburgh trio Young Fathers turn out their new album, the somewhat provocatively titled 'White Men Are Black Men Too'. [A title they defended, with the band's Alloysious Massaquoi saying: “We came at it from a different angle, a positive
angle. It’s got issues of race and so what? Why should it be discussed behind closed doors and never confronted head on?”]
The trio meld dub, roots reggae, punk West African polyrhythms, and soul-filled R&B into a trip-hop melting-pot, and take on all from the dual vocals of Massaquoi and Kayus Bankole on '27' residing over haunting lyrics detailing murder and blasphemy; 'Nest' where strings and choral harmonies big up Massaquoi’s skill for melodic structures, and on to 'Rain Or Shine', the fifth track in and the album’s first openly uplifting track, with sweeping keys and percussion that lay a feelgood groove.
Elsewhere, 'Shame' gives a clue to their new musical style, with catchy beat and soulful yelped vocal. Opener 'Still Running', ending on “tonight I don’t love God,” is poignant, while 'Old Rock N Roll' is the record's most abrasive track, taking a head on political stance. It also offers the line from which the album takes its name, along with contumacious demonstrations of black identity. Passionate and spontaneous, while 'WMABMT' may justify Young Fathers in their integrity, it may take something more to win over those still undecided.
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