~KCee

TAD Spotify link : https://open.spotify.com/album/6eGf.....Q0y6C1le0rP9VQ

I first became aware of Tade Dust through his joint album with Bonbero, Rule of Groove, back in 2021.

With his unique raspy tone, Tade Dust has a distinctive voice that sets him apart from his contemporaries, a trait he shares with other members of his crew, the "Night Cat Family." Two artists from this group I particularly enjoy are XakiMichele and Noma, whose releases tend to be more experimental. In contrast, Tade Dust, FFFFFF, and Bonbero seem to aim their sound at a more mainstream audience.

What really differentiates Tade Dust, especially on his latest release TAD, is his heavy influence from the UK hip-hop scene over the past 20 years. Starting with the early 2000s grime inspired beats he dabbled with on "Chapter 1" from "Forward March" last year, this release dials up the UK influences to the max, blending a variety of garage, 2-step, DnB, and mainstream drill sounding songs throughout the album.

On certain tracks, individual artist influences are clear; for instance, "Vantage Point" notably draws from Central Cee’s style of delivery. This influence in particular is fitting, as Tade Dust has referenced Central Cee several times online. The back-and-forth dynamic he creates with Bonbero on the track is stellar and a definite highlight. "All My Life", on the other hand, while popular, unfortunately sounds like a Craig David or Daniel Bedingfield track from two decades ago—a vibe that might be more nostalgic for UK listeners of a certain age, though some could view it negatively.

Despite the high-quality production, the album’s pacing and direction could have used some refinement. The first three tracks share a cohesive flow, with "Who's That?" and "Business" being among my favourites. However, the subsequent track, "Kabuki", marks a sudden shift in style, and from then on, the album seems to alternate genres with each track. Some of these variations work well, like the hip-house inspired "Pay Me Up", while others, such as "B Myself", "Rid3 or Di3", and "Wisdom Teeth" feel so thematically different from the album’s start that you almost second guess if you're still listening to the same release.

If the album had maintained the high BPM style of its opening quarter, it could have been outstanding. Unfortunately, aside from "Vantage Point", there’s a lack of standout tracks in the middle, making the inclusion of "All My Life" near the end understandable from a marketing standpoint as a highly streamed single.

Overall, despite a few filler tracks, the highlights make TAD well worth a listen, offering yet another enjoyable release from one of the Night Cat Family.🐻🎧