Albums
August: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Month-long listening sorted
Toddla T 'Foreign Light'
Toddla T delves into new territory on his first release since 2012, fusing elements of gospel (‘Ungrateful’), funk (‘BlackJack21’), reggae (‘Foundation’), grime and dubstep (‘Foreign Light’). It’s a brave move to incorporate so many styles but, on the whole, it works. ‘Beast’ is the highlight, as Toddla’s Major Lazer-style dancehall beats kick in underneath a Michael Jackson-inspired vocal from singer Andrea Martin. But it’s at the halfway mark, when London rapper Stefflon Don arrives with a competition-destroying flow, that things shift up a few gears. Grime MC CasIsDead features on the 80s synth-led ‘Won’t Admit It’s Love’, while ‘Tribute’, a too-brief interlude featuring the king of grime, Wiley, is 64 seconds of bass-heavy energy. B Jolley
7/10
