Devlin - 'The Devil In'

6/10

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last three years, you may have noticed that grime music is very much back in the public domain. Yet one of the most inspiring names on the scene remained largely quiet throughout this new revival, but has now returned with his third studio album 'The Devil In'. Devlin's last studio release, 'A Moving Picture', saw him try to break into the mainstream with a more widely accessible sound, but this new release sees him go back to his origins to create another great narrative-driven full-length.

One thing that always stood out in Devlin's style was his ability to write stories into his music. Always autobiographical, this new record talks mainly about his personal experiences as a London-based rapper, as well as his reasons for a much needed break and his opinions on his genre's much-lauded revival. The result is mixed affair with strong tracks having to help out the weaker ones, making it an album of two different rhythms.

Devlin's most appealing aspect is his incredible flow and lyrics, which always hold the centre ground, but unfortunately seem to over-shadow the productions behind them and give the record less of the power it should really have. A confident return but one that should have had a more explosive disposition.

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