Album Review: Hungry, Paul Alwright

As the Bard once wrote, “What’s in a name?” Well, for the artist formerly known as Lethal Dialect, quite a bit it would seem. Shedding his old moniker in order to both embrace and showcase a more sensitive and socially aware mindset, it’s certainly a brave decision to leave behind a fairly successful brand. But then, Alwright was never short of courage.

Hungry is the rapper’s fourth album, but in many ways it feels like his first. Comprised of nine tracks, the record puts Alwright’s storytelling flair front and centre, particularly on the wonderfully absorbing ‘The Auld Chinaman’. A tale of crime and corruption, the track’s coup de grace is the stunning chorus. Elsewhere, opener ‘Genius’ impresses with its mash up of ‘70s prog, gospel and hip hop (as well as, intriguingly, a little bit of Clannad); the Maverick Sabre-featuring ‘All Love’ feels like it could make a decent dent in the mainstream; and ‘Human’ – with its skillful incorporation of ’80s indie influences – is simply a knockout. All in all, it’s an impressive rebirth for the rapper.

Rating: 8/10

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