On their last LP, BBC 6 Music A- Listers The Allergies blasted us all the way to the Promised Land. And, now the moon dust has settled on that out-of-this-world record, they’re back to…
Tear The Place Up.
And who are we to argue? This brand-new full-length album is bursting with their trademark explosive energy, as they blow down the barriers between musical styles like never before.
Across each dynamite track they mash up feel-good hip-hop flavours with club bubbling styles, dynamite soul selections, and a whole heap of expertly chopped sample sources and powerhouse vocal performances.
Joining them in the booth for the first time they’re chuffed to welcome the worldwide hip-hop icon, Bootie Brown. The Pharcyde and Gorillaz lead vocalist was specially drafted in to run riot on the boom bap rap track ‘Stanky Funk’, a future classic in the making.
Elsewhere on the LP, long-time collaborator, Andy Cooper, steps up like never before to showcase his rhyme skills on ‘Green Light Go’. Then, with his deadliest delivery to date, he flows like a demon on the trap-meets-Tarantino title track, ‘Tear The Place Up’, alongside the shredding of ex-The Exploited guitarist, Robbie Davidson.
Also pushed in wild new musical directions are vocals taken with permission from the Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Hound Dog Taylor. The Afrobeat ambassador, Dele Sosimi. Deadly dancehall pioneer, Joe Lickshot. And the much-missed roots reggae singer, Junior Delgado.
Around them, punchy and powerful beat-based backdrops are built up from the hundreds of splinters of funky and forgotten wax samples. With dope drums and slick cuts thrown on top for good measure.
Also returning to round out the team is soul singer, Marietta Smith, who hits high notes over the sun-kissed boogaloo of ‘Vamonos’. And James Morton, who reminds us why he’s one of the UK’s hottest sax players on the epic jam, ’Take Another Look At It’.
Add to that the ska-breaks banger, ‘Never Gonna Let Go’. Afro house smash, ’Hypnotise’. And the reggae-topped summer anthem, ’Mash Up The Sound’, and you have all the proof you need that The Allergies came to rip up the rule book AND the party on this one. Let’s go!
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