Hak Baker calls himself the ‘three island man’ – his mom was born in Jamaica, his father in Grenada, and himself on east London’s Isle of Canines. On his intoxicating debut album ‘World’s Finish FM’ – introduced as a pirate radio broadcast transmitting from the sting of the apocalypse – the Londoner brings all these views collectively for a report that goals to supply a complete portrait of the artist’s journey to this point.
Since rising in 2017, Baker has dipped into ska, reggae and punk, although his MC beginnings nonetheless permeate the power of the music he makes right now. During the last yr, he has supported The Libertines’ Pete Doherty on the Royal Albert Corridor and can hyperlink up with Jamie T at his enormous Finsbury Park gig this month (June 30), whereas Skepta and Celeste additionally take into account themselves followers.
The numerous jumps between genres and energies on ‘World’s Finish FM’ generally make the album really feel unfocused and erratic, however it additionally feels true to each Baker’s cultural and musical backgrounds. On single ‘Doolally’, he feels like a cockney Mike Skinner, throwing out observational quips and guiding the listener by way of a messy London night time out with the identical sensible nonchalance as classic-era Streets. A minute later, he’s swapping soiled beats for breezy acoustic guitar and singing passionately of the deserted Windrush era (‘Windrush Child’).
On ‘Windrush Child’, he performs the position of conventional protest singer properly, earlier than bringing his gaze in direction of the technological age on ‘Telephones 4 Eyes’, a tune that feels suitably itchy and anxious as he discusses the invasive position of smartphones. The sentiment is nothing new, however it’s the clear agitation with which he sings that makes the message minimize by way of.
Whereas all sides of each Baker’s style and upbringing really feel represented right here, the overarching idea of ‘World’s Finish FM’ may very well be carried by way of a bit extra cohesively. Throughout the album, artists from Baker’s universe name in to the radio station to talk with him. Kurupt FM chief MC Grindah spits over a reggae/d’n’b hybrid on ‘Babylon Should Fall’, earlier than indie star Connie Constance has a bone to select with individuals caught with their heads of their telephones on Watford excessive avenue (‘Watford’s Burning’). Between these small interludes although, the idea feels, at instances, misplaced.
Whereas ‘World’s Finish FM’ itself falls an inch wanting its lofty conceptual objectives, it does efficiently introduce Hak Baker as a twenty first Century troubadour chatting with trendy issues with empathy and requisite anger.
Particulars
- Launch date: June 9
- File label: Hak Assault Data
