Stanley Odd - Oddio

The jury's still out on Scottish hip-hop. It's either a vibrant subculture that doesn't get the attention it deserves, or it's an oddity in itself, a geographical and cultural anomaly. So it's appropriate that the latest act to attempt to haul the inward-looking scene into the daylight is named Stanley Odd. The Edinburgh-based six-piece of multi-national denomination are exponents of instrumental hip hop with DJ breaks, in the same vein as Jurassic Five or The Roots, although the slick funk rock is merely the engine for Solareye's clear, acerbic rhymes and Veronika Elektronica's lush backing vocals. While this may not break new ground or appeal to die-hard rap acolytes, it does mean that Stanley Odd are well placed for crossover appeal. Tracks like Think of a Number and The Numbness possess enough lyrical clout and head-nodding populism to suggest that, if Scottish hip-hop is due its curtain call, Stanley Odd might just be the band to represent it. [Nick Mitchell]