Bob Vylan - ‘Humble As The Sun’
6th April 2024
The third record from crossover duo Bob Vylan, this new record is a more mature evolution of their signature blend of rap and rock. Not only are we treated to more nuanced and technical production, but tighter and more developed songwriting.
Album opener ‘Reign’ is a manifesto of purpose, as singer Bobby Vylan declares he was robbed of the Mercury Prize over a fast-paced electro-garage beat. With the swagger out of the way, Bobby launches into his trademark socially-conscious bars to skewer the powers that be (“Repeat after me, fuck Queen and country, living in boxes, Lizzie lived comfy …”). He continues with searing diatribes against racists and toxic PR managers, and it’s strangely refreshing to hear politically-conscious music always runs the risk of sounding preachy, but UK musicians have remained strangely quiet in the face of rising inequality and rapidly declining quality of life.
“Welcome to England, where so many man live on a knife’s edge (...) ”
‘GYAG (Get Yourself A Gun)’ is a powerful and provocative call to arms against rent-gouging landlords, set to a thick garage riff, featuring a surprisingly catchy earworm of a chorus. On ‘Dream Big’, Bobby skewers armchair socialists who haven’t experienced real hardship (…”where I come from we lock our dreams in a box …”). On ‘Hunger Games’, UK society is compared in darkly comic fashion to a game show for the entertainment of the rich (“Spin the wheel for the chance of a hot meal”), but sends a note of hope to ordinary people in a spoken word outro set to spinning synths and drum ’n’ bass beats (“You are more than your ability to earn …)
‘Right Here’ features a Fatboy Slim sample (itself a sample from the 1995 film Strange Days, sample-ception??), set against intense guitar riffing and rapid synchopated drums. Bobby Vylan channels Anthony Kiedis here, with his flow recalling ‘Give It Away’ at points. ‘Makes Me Violent’ is a melancholic and humorous ode to the daily struggle, set to a simple and effective alt-rock banger with a laid-back melody, memorable riff and squiggly Pixies-esque guitar solo.
‘He’s A Man’ is a hilarious and mocking diatribe against toxic, coke-snorting British masculinity (“Past the Queen on its’ way up his nose, dearest old Elizabeth, may God rest her soul …”) featuring blistering guitars courtesy of a guest appearance by Soft Play’s Laurie Vincent. Soft Play are the most obvious comparison to Bob Vylan, but where Soft Play play it safe, Bob Vylan are unflinchingly political in the true tradition of British punk. Their politics never sounds cringey or proselytising, it’s always clever, witty and sharply satirical.
On this record though, some of the musical messiness of their previous releases has been tamed with improved production. Whilst still raw and unflinching, we get a polished version of the Bobs’ unique sound, that still manages to deftly articulate some difficult societal truths about the country we are living in right now.