STYLE: R&B RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 114777-18266 LABEL: Arrow FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RRP: £4.99
Reviewed by Stephan Robinson
Toby Mac owes much of his popularity to the skill of his extraordinary Diverse City Band, one of whose members was, until recently, Shonlock. His mixture of pop/rock/hip-hop/soul caught the attention of Arrow Records who have followed up on last year's 'Where Never Begins' EP with this year's full length debut album. It opens up with the chart-topping single "Something In Your Eyes", definitely one of the favourites of the album for its memorable tune. The songs vary throughout for their different styles, from the more soulful hip-hop "Could U Be" to the louder rap "Simple Man". The songs shine for their bouncy music and intriguing lyrics, "You Act Like" being a good example for the former in its chorus and "Bet Ya House" for the latter (I gotta bag full of swagga/Monkeys and bananas/Gorilla monsoon goons posing for the cameras). The last song is the title track closing the album with powerful drum beats and positive message. This is a seriously good artist with seriously good music.
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