Now totally established in the musical mainstream, grime has enjoyed a sensational year in 2019. UK artists have topped the global charts with polished club tracks and gritty roadman anthems, Slowthai's dropped a debut LP inspired by punk energy, and the manlike Dave has delivered a new genre highpoint with the phenomenal "Psychodrama" LP. Swerving away from the flossy end of the spectrum, Dave serves up confessional and conscious lyricisim, opening up about mental health problems, domestic abuse and racism across eleven tracks. 
Blessed with the same versatility as Kendrick, Dave can move from the deep and powerful "Black" (think a British Tupac wrapping over Jay Z's "Renegade" beat) to the romantic and sensual "Purple Heart" (a bit like Kendrick's "Pride") to the reflective "Location" in three tracks. This is not the archetypal rapper with big chains, gun chat and a love of hating women, instead his masterful album is presented as a series of discussions with his therapist, recorded over a year of treatment. It will suck you into his world with genius lyrical depth and intricacy and moving explanations of life as a young black person living in the UK. It's utterly prescient and insightful.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Psycho 
A2. Streatham 
A3. Black
A4. Purple Heart
B1. Location (feat Burna Boy)
B2. Disaster (feat J Hus)
B3. Screwface Capital
C1. Environment
C2. Lesley (feat Ruelle)
D1. Voices
D2. Drama