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(Method)Fusing rap, alt-rock and abrasive electronics, the Northampton rapper mints a sound all his own on his third albumAs follow-ups to chart-topping albums go, Ugly begins in pretty uncompromising style. True, opener Yum commences with lyrics that lean towards the kind of positive personal affirmations that now proliferate in pop, lines you could imagine being belted out over a big power-ballad chorus: “You are great, you are good, you’re a king, you’re a queen, you’re a genius.” But their message of self-love is undercut by the rest of the track: an unsettling synth tone that becomes more percussive and relentless, the sound of someone breathing in the gasping, heaving manner of a panic attack. The electronics intensify, then resolve into something resembling a house pulse, punctuated by voices screaming and whimpering, and more panic-attack breathing. The lyrics keep shifting, throwing out descriptions of a futile visit to a therapist, howled litanies of mindless hedonism, the saga of Slowthai’s misadventures with Viagra – “I lost composure and I couldn’t stop fucking”, apparently – and lines that might sound celebratory if they weren’t being shouted in a distressed yelp: “Smoking weed, singing Lauryn Hill, any bad vibes and they’re gonna get killed.” Then it collapses entirely, consumed by bursts of jarring, arrhythmic noise. End of track one.It’s perhaps also worth noting that Slowthai – Tyron Frampton to his mum – has chosen to celebrate the release of Ugly by getting its title tattooed on his face. Whatever you think about that as a long-term life choice, it does suggest an artist in obdurate mood. But why wouldn’t Slowthai be feeling bullish? He’s thrived despite various controversies; his last album, 2021’s Tyron, went to No 1 in the UK and – judging by the video for current single Feel Good at least – he has a fanbase that cuts across genre borders: the Slowthai devotees it shows range from snapback-sporting rap fans to goths and emos. Continue reading...