Racking up 5bn global streams and selling out Alexandra Palace twice, Lewisham duo D-Block Europe’s formula has been wildly successful: a catchy combination of saccharine Auto-Tune effects, x-rated bars, melancholic trap beats and woozy hooks about drug dealing. Yet on their third studio album, Young Adz and Dirtbike LB’s formula reaches its limitations.
Outside starts promisingly, with a striking spoken-word intro about staving off suicidal thoughts. But it quickly descends into misogynist sex talk and slurred monotonous flows about luxury items. Similarly, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, built around an eerie vibraphone hum, shifts cleverly between euphoria and darkness, suggesting that those on top need eyes in the backs of their heads. Then a revealing lyric about refusing to die broke trails more misogyny. Any time the duo broach depth, they immediately pull back.
Their ability to make a hit single remains intact. Highlight Eagle has a rabble-rousing hook as well as an irresistible rags-to-riches sentiment: “Half a million for Wireless / I made my momma proud.” But their lyrics lack the depth of storytelling to make references to drinking Patron and buying £25k jackets feel hard-won, not trite: I Need It Now sounds like a potential Deliveroo jingle. Musically, they’re as captivating as ever: Rolling Stone teems with addictively wavy trap that shimmers with a fascinating mix of glory and paranoia. But D-Block Europe’s surface-level lyrics sorely want for that kind of nuance.
• Rolling Stone is released on 12 January
