Graduates of the BRIT School, recent guest stars on X-Factor runner-up
Olly Murs' chart-topper, and self-confessed lovers of
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, it's clear from the outset that Jordan "Rizzle" Stephens and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule -- aka Brighton duo
Rizzle Kicks -- aren't your average British hip-hop act. Steering clear of the usual "street" clichés, their debut album,
Stereo Typical, is -- thankfully -- as refreshingly playful and unpretentious as you'd hope, given its 14 relentlessly summery tracks that sit somewhere between the flower-power rap of
De La Soul and
Jungle Brothers and the
Lily Allen-fronted ska-pop explosion of the mid-2000s. The album's two Top Ten singles, the nostalgic "When I Was a Youngster," an infectious fusion of jaunty brass riffs and skittering drum'n'bass-tinged beats, and the appropriately titled "Down with the Trumpets" will both be familiar to anyone who has switched on a radio at some point over the last few months. But there are plenty more potential hits here, from the mariachi band staccato R&B of "Round Up" to the Latin-tinged "Stop with the Chatter" to the Wild West-themed big beat of "Mama Do the Hump," whose doo wop vocal samples, Faith-era
George Michael acoustic strums, and flashes of harmonica bear all the cut-and-paste hallmarks of producer
Fatboy Slim. Elsewhere, the eerie synth-led opener "Dreamers" highlights the pair's mischievous way with words ("We aim higher than
Mariah in a choir"), "Miss Cigarette" is a clever acoustic jazz-tinged tale that compares the object of their affections to the addictiveness of smoking, while the contrast between Stephens' "so laid-back they're horizontal" MC skills and Alexander-Sule's sweetly soulful vocals is best showcased on the string-soaked "Traveller's Chant" and the ivory-tinkling reggae-pop of "Trouble." The album is less convincing when it takes itself a little more seriously, as on the woozy ambience of "Demolition Man" and the clattering hip-hop of "Homewrecker," suggesting they might have a bit of work to do once their whole "cheeky chappie" schtick has worn off. But for the time being,
Stereo Typical's good-natured swagger marks
Rizzle Kicks out as one of the British urban scene's most entertaining new talents. ~ Jon O'Brien