Tinchy Stryder (Island)
Dizzee Rascal’s morph from bleeding-edge grime wunderkind of Boy In Da Corner to the chart-topping mainstream icon of Bonkers took seven years.
Fellow Bow resident Tinchy Stryder got there a little quicker.
Like Dizzee, Stryder had his eye on stardom, even during his time in the underground. Unlike Dizzee, Stryder knew the direct route to the top.
Listening to Catch 22 is a little like being stuck in a lift at Bluewater for an hour.
Spread-eagled over 18 tracks, it’s a relentless record, uninterested in variation or subtlety.
Shamelessly cheesy synth lines give way to Stryder’s bragging vocals and, usually, a big fat chorus.
With the odd interruption from a familiar tune (Olive’s You’re Not Alone, for instance), that’s it.
Leaving aside the ridiculous length, the main problem with Catch 22 is Stryder.
Whereas Dizzee has the charisma to elevate even the feeblest of backing tracks, Stryder’s delivery rarely catches the attention, much less holds it.
WILL FULFORD-JONES
