Kele Okereke - 'Trick'

6/10

As the frontman of Bloc Party, Kele Okereke made a name for himself as a very outspoken individual, both in and out of the studio. His lyrics always look to expose the discrimination and loveless attitude within modern society, but it has been his solo albums that have really helped the vocalist to express himself. Now onto his second individual effort, going by his full name rather than simply Kele, he has used his leftfield approach to electronic music to deliver an album of substance and emotion.

His debut solo effort 'The Boxer' was a very club-ready affair that used the same tricks and techniques Bloc Party opted for in order to make them a great band that you could dance to. But 'Trick' is a far more brooding affair as the frontman looks to use breakbeats and solemn instrumentation to create a record which is more about the message than its dance floor appeal. The album has this nostalgic twinge to it that gives it a resonance with the dance music lead RnB of the late 90s, which helps keep the pace of the full-length ever moving forward and ultimately creating a very succinct body of work.

While it still doesn't have that same magic Kele used to pump out at will, 'Trick' is still a very romantic and well-conceived album, if not a little forgettable by the end.

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