On his second album
Tyron (2021), the British Slowthai bridged the gap between hip-hop and electronica. On Ugly, too, the rapper demonstrates his virtuosity, though his eclectic mix of genres is now quite diverse. Another important difference is that the more introspective nature of his previous album was traded for more aggression and chaos. Ugly is therefore an intense ride from the opening track
… onward, with plenty of screaming and abrasion. Besides hip-hop and electronica, punk, synthpop and rock pass by. The songs where the rapper eases off a bit are welcome moments. As a whole, Ugly feels somewhat disjointed, which, combined with the intensity of Slowthai's raps, makes this clash of styles not the most accessible record. Now Slowthai isn't afraid to show and hear his quirks anyway, but he does go very far on Ugly and not everyone will be a fan of that. (YvQ)more