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Hip-Hop isn’t normally my thing but somehow Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip managed to catch my attention.  After top 40 hit ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’ was released way back in 2007 the twosome have had a string of slightly lesser hits, and now they’ve brought out new album The Logic of Chance.

The album starts with ‘Sick Tonight’.  Even though all the instruments may have been generated by a computer the duo manage to capture your imagination.  It may not be entirely original, but Scroobius Pip’s lyrics are first rate.

‘Five Minutes’ tells the tale of a wife that was attacked by her husband.  Although it may not be the usual subject for a rap/hip-hop/whateveryouwanttocallit album it’s why frontman Scroobius is hailed as the “voice of the youth”.

There are some points that don’t quite fit on the album though, mainly on ‘Cauliflower’.  They’re definitely at their best when Scroobius is rapping, rather than when they try to break it down.  ‘Cauliflower’ incorporates soft female vocals into a song that doesn’t really need them.

‘Great Britain’ cements their place as spokesmen for teenagers. “See sometimes Great Britain ain’t so great//kids getting stabbed at alarming rates//press with a passion to exaggerate//increasingly clueless heads of state.” It’s accessible to the younger generation, and slightly educational, telling the listener about government reports.  The skill however is getting their point across without sounding preachy.

It’s a theme that continues into single ‘Get Better’. “Imagine a song, that really reached out and touched kids//and not in a Daily Mail way, innocence corrupted//but in a way where criticism remained constructive” It’s as much a song to educate the older generations as anything else.  It touches on sex, drinking and education.  It’s something that other similar acts lack. A purpose to their songs.

‘Inert Explosions’ is slower.  Something doesn’t quite click though, maybe it’s the almost classical piano underneath the lyrics. It’s not as inspiring as the previous two either.  Maybe it’s just poor track placement, but it’s definitely a dip in tempo and quality.

It’s back to the slightly more up-tempo ‘Stake A Claim’, which moves into a new area of debate:  politics. “In this democracy I as a citizen reserve the right to stand up for what I believe in//In this democracy I am not accountable to the government//In this democracy the government is accountable to us, the people.” While you’ll find your head bobbing along,  it’s not the strongest song on the album but it’s solid.

‘The Beat’ lets Dan Le Sac come to the fore, as they say themselves “This one ain’t about the words//It’s all about the beat//It ain’t about your brain//It’s all about your feet” It’s definitely one for the dancefloor.

‘Last Train Home’ isn’t a Lostprophets cover, but it probably should be.  It’s the weakest song on the album, it doesn’t really have the same impact as the others.  It does however steal a couple of line’s from the Amy Winehouse classic “When they asked if I was Jihad I said no//My passport and my visa I did show.”

‘Snob’ isn’t their best work either. It challenges stereotypes when it comes to music “Little Sammy was a kid on a council estate,” who saved up to go see a Mozart piece performed, yet he was turned away because he was a “pikey”. The same thing happened to Frankie, who went to buy a ‘hip-hop’ album who turned her away.  It’s something that people may connect to though. “Stop being a snob with your music.”

‘Cowboi’ incorporates violins and slightly dodgy singing which is actually a lot better than it sounds but unfortunately they’ve gone back to being slightly slower, which doesn’t really suit them.  It is however a fitting testimony to Great Britain (the country, not the song).  It sums up the spirit of the nation. “See that is London, and this is Britain//We might get scratched and we might get bitten//But even when our heart and resolve is depleted//We won’t lay down; no we won’t be defeated.”

Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip have definitely found something that appeals, shown by their tour which almost all the dates sold out for, and most of them a good deal in advance.  It may not be the best musically, but lyrically the album is brilliant.

Listen To: Five Minutes, Great Britain, Get Better, The Beat

Sounds Like: Example, Jamie T

Rating: 7/10