New Flesh

Envelope pushing Brit hip-hop collective New Flesh turn in a dot-connecting genre blaster for their third LP, Universally Dirty. From the word "Go!” the crafty threesome blast through a blistering assault of dancehall rhythms and gritty grime beats, with the lines being increasingly blurred between the two forms as producer Part 2 lays his madcap electronic creations over the two stylistic frameworks. Dirty, speaker-rattling bass lines and frenetic beat work provide the indispensable foundation to this "clubland” attack. The crew take a few slight detours — first through some serious futuristic dub riddims on "Trouble,” and then into deep house territory with the brief but necessary "Chocolate Bubbles” — before returning to the grime party. Lyrically, there are moments throughout the record (check the cut "Money Makers”) where you wish the MC would just shut up and let the beat do all the talking, as what’s going on musically makes more sense then what he’s offering. For the most part, though, the killer grooves will have you too worried about rocking right off your seat to care.