SPR10
Seven Steps Forward, 10 Steps Back
It’s an enigmatic start to proceedings; ‘Let me tell you what this is. This is my passion. This is my dream. This is my art. This is my truth and this is your lies…’
It’s no coincidence that things start out with lyrics heavy enough to cause a hernia, SPR10 isn’t just a hip-hop record with some interesting additions, it’s also a reaction to those cheap-rhyming rappers that use ‘find-a-rhyme.com’ to compose songs that mean about as much as a kiss on the cheek from a slapper.
This mini-LP is a series of songs that attempt to forge a path back towards genuine tunes about real life with some decent beats, lots of keyboards and the occasional piano or distorted guitar.
On the whole this record succeeds, especially with the break-up ‘Absent Adulterer’ and the name dropping ‘One World, One Heaven’, which pays tribute to Tupak Shakur, Aaliyah and Jam Master Jay as well as (rather surprisingly) Lennon, Cobain and Presley.
Spurr’s vocal is good enough to lead the way, distinct by virtue of a gentle slur and certainly emotes expressively in tune with the words.
I would love to hear one or two of these songs just a little faster to add more flow and maybe have a bit more gnarl in the bits that should be angsty, but these elements aren’t entirely absent as it is.
In ten months, SPR10 has moved from concept to reality and the original dedication to decent lyrics means that there is something substantial on this record.
Written by Smith on
