With Blighty's grime scene racking up more sales figures by the hour, thanks to the likes of Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A. and Tinchy Stryder (who I reckon personally flogs about £200 worth of T-shirts at every gig), I have to admit I forgot all about the relatively low-key Kano. He's always had flow, as we discovered with 2004 hit 'Ps & Qs' (released when the grime tadpole was 19). However, Method To The Maadness is a whole different beast.
From the first pulsating beat, it's clear this is more than a grime or rap album. '2 Left: Topic Of Discussion' has elements of Faithless superhit 'Insomnia', while 'Spaceship' and 'Crazy' are infused with extra-terrestrial bleeps. Why Why Peaches vocalist Michelle Breeze lends her folky pipes to 'Upside' and 'Slaves', a peculiar match-up that somehow works.
'Get Wild' has a hook Dizzee himself would kill to get his mitts on and the basement rhymes of guest star Wiley add the right touch of jungle fever. Hot Chip collaboration 'All + All Together' is another highlight, harking back to vintage Timbaland with a genius bark sample.
'iPod Generation', a fuzzy 55-second rant that could equally be titled 'The State Of The Nation', leads into 'Maad' a further dig at the waster youths of Great Britain. It's told cleverly in the first person with Kano groaning lines like; 'Misunderstood, but I don't give a fff…' The sarcasm behind his London drawl will no doubt be lost on the hoodies it's directed at; still, the repetitive refrain of “I got my iPod banging on the back of the bus” (catchy to the point where it burrows nastily into your cranial nerves) probably means it'll be a massive hit with this exact clique.
Elsewhere, 'Jenga' has Missy E written all over it and 'Upside' has a distinct Public Enemy groove. Kano's clearly been doing his hippety hoppety homework and if you didn't already notice his R'n'B credentials, the East Ham lad makes it clear by name checking the likes of Cee Lo, Lil Wayne, L.L. Cool J, Andre 3000.
Twelve songs. At least 10 of them banging. Ain't no arguing with figures like that.