On March 21st, Steve Andrews, AKA the Bard of Ely, showed us a brand-new facet to his consistently conscious talent with the release of ‘Mother Nature Rap’. The rap track drifts away from his usual psych-folk style but keeps the heart of it behind the canter of the rapped vocals, blistering synths and heavy rattle of the 808s.
I can safely say that I haven’t been this arrested in a socially dissecting hip hop track since Scroobius Pip launched his Logic of Chance album. The vocals take on a brand-new style of conviction as Andrews takes a no holds barred approach to announcing the impending climate doom and pointing out that we are already living it.
There is no shortage of cutting lyricism, but my personal preference has to fall upon, Mother nature ain’t here for your dream, You’re in hers, so let it be, and The Mother’s lungs have been cut out, It’s happened but it’s obscene. The imagery is as haunting as it is captivating in its unflinching John Cooper Clarke style.
Mother Nature Rap was recorded in Portugal at Verdelho Studio with Ricardo Verdelho as the producer. It also features synth overdubs by Crum (ex-Hawkwind, ex-Moonloonies). It is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.
Review by Amelia Vandergast