Rudimental – Home

The massive hit “Feel The Love”, released on the heels of their debut single “Spoons”, ushered Rudimental firmly into the public consciousness. This album shows the London quartet has plenty more potential. Opening track “Home” is a funk-laden, slightly mournful toe-tapper that gave me high hopes for the rest of the album. “Feel The Love” is up next, with the immediately recognisable bass and thumping beat that stormed to No.1 in the UK upon its release in May 2012. Take a few minutes and just dance around to this one. “Right Here” does not slow the momentum. The song starts off slow, and then veers between jangly pop and powerful drum and bass. You can clearly see why “Right Here” was a single choice, but it isn’t a particularly standout track. The next song, “Hell Could Freeze”, makes great use of Angel Haze. Soulful, angst-ridden vocals are juxtaposed with rapid-fire rap to tell an angry story of lost love over a pounding beat. This song shifts its style from soul to dance and back again at a fast pace; all you can do is hang on and keep listening.

“Spoons” moves the album into more traditional house and drum and bass territory, opening with a slow-building beat reminiscent of Underworld that wouldn’t sound out of place on a 90’s dance floor. It remains intense throughout, with the vocals balancing perfectly on steady, pulsing rhythm. “Hide” slows things down with a classic garage feel and the warm voice of Sinead Harnett as she berates a lover for causing her pain. Another single, “Powerless”, brings the drum and bass back in with R&B vocals by Becky Hill keeping things fairly mellow, if not hugely memorable. Emili Sandé showcases her considerable talents next on “More Than Anything”, creating a fusion of drum and bass and soulful R&B.

John Newman returns with Alex Clare for “Not Giving In”. Newman once again adds his distinctive voice to a thumping, exuberant floor filler. It lacks the sunny charm of “Feel The Love”, but has a confident edge that makes it enjoyable nonetheless, and vocally Clare complements Newman well. “Baby” makes use of Sinead Harnett again, along with “Spoons” collaborator MNEK. An R&B melody sails over house beats, ensuring this song will keep dance floors packed for its duration. “Waiting All Night” is a poppy, pounding dance gem featuring the talented Ella Eyre. This song also reached No.1 as a single, and it’s easy to see why: instantly addictive, you will be singing it all day. Finally, Emili Sandé returns to round things off. “Free” is driven by drums and strings, and Sandé’s vocals move warmly over an upbeat rhythm. This track makes for a celebratory, occasionally philosophical, ending to the album and will put a smile on your face.

This album likes to keep things varied, cresting the waves of house and drum and bass to land smoothly in R&B territory when you least expect it. It suffers somewhat from the lack of a coherent style throughout, but compensates admirably with exciting beats. Some tracks are more forgettable than others, but overall Rudimental’s first studio release is an enjoyable piece of work. If you are looking for an album full of single potential that will get a party up and running, download “Home”. For a reflective or emotional listening experience, you’d best look elsewhere.