They Don't Know

The Clash, Prodigy, Primal Scream, NWA, Happy Mondays, The Ramones – the liturgy of bands who came on like street gangs is full of great names.

London garage collective So Solid Crew are definitely of that ilk, although with members numbering nearly thirty they are more a mob than a gang.

Quite what all these various members actually do is less than clear, certainly from the musical input on debut album They Don’t Know. The backing tracks are kept to a minimalist mix of clattering beats, booming bass and effects that sound like – and often are – mobile phone rings.

Owing as much to hip-hop as garage, the twenty track collection is essentially a one trick pony, at times thrilling but too often repetitive (after seventy minutes you will never want to hear the words so, solid or crew again in your life).

’21 Seconds’ is still the maddest, scattershot of a record to top the charts this year while ‘Envy’, ‘Friend Of Mine’ and ‘Solid Soul’ are all fierce and fiery, but also blessed with a sly, infectious melody.

An often exhilarating rush of a record, and one to make anyone over twenty feel both old and young all at the same time.