Roll Deep - Rules & Regulations

With Wiley's first album on Big Dada imminent, and with the knowledge that the official head of the Roll Deep crew is retiring after that release, you would think there might be a touch of regret or reflection on the new group effort. Not so – the Roll Deep crew are putting a flame to it in their customary fashion. The grimy depths of their Creeper mixtapes and Wiley's own offerings are smoothed out and polished for the official album releases, so you do get a couple of blatant stabs at the mainstream. However, lacing raw urban music with saccharine R&B is nothing new, and if it improves sales for a band of Roll Deep's quality, it would seem churlish to criticise. The heavier tracks benefit from being so polished – Badman is a focused burst of ghetto morality, while classic clash tunes like Bring Ur Crew Then, Celebrate and Flame Grilled Whopper are simply Roll Deep chromed-out and gleaming. Lyrically, Tempa T and Jet Le provide much of the best material, and Eskiboy Wiley's verses are as unmissable as always. For true, grimy Roll Deep, seek the mixtapes – but if you're put off by grime's spiky harshness, this album will definitely be more compatible with your ears. This is the sound of London – big, brash and bold. [Bram Gieben]