November 29, 2010

Album Review: N-Dubz, 'Live Love Life' (Universal)

The latest from Dappy and co

5 / 10 What N-Dubz try to express as anthemic wisdom always seems to come out braggier and shoutier than they mean it to, especially when Dappy – a self-righteous storm in a tea cosy – takes the mic. His intense need to be seen as a grown-up man’s man pushes him to write macho tommyrot like ‘Toot It And Boot It’, but it leaves him too proud to call out for a soulmate (‘Best Behaviour’) without accidentally suggesting that this is because he can’t cook (“I need some kind of lady that will feed me daily”). This is, of course, both crackers and compelling, like a philosophy lecture in a chimps’ tea party.

Fraser McAlpine