LV & Josh Idehen – Islands

An awesomely designed underground rising…

In muddy hi-def, LV beef up debut ‘Routes’ with a grass roots handle on tightly knitted futurism. Gritty gold is forged from cast-iron techniques and improvised mergers, entertaining brain cells and hip bones with doughty garage and dubstep, and drip­downs of broken beat and astral soul.

‘Shake’ is chipper and hyped up while and ‘Double Decker Back Seat’ is sneeringly heavyweight – two songs that determine the album’s profile as a minefield not without its bubbles. The trio’s ascent runs in tandem with the progression of (Benin City vocalist) Josh Idehen’s mic persona, posing as grime bovver boy on the eski­ish ‘Imminent’, via the best of Roots Manuva, Dubbledge and The Spaceape.

An awesomely designed underground rising.

9/10

Words: Matt Oliver

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