Taz - 'Analyse This' (Def Jam)
3/5
By: Thomas Hannan
Much as the likes of Taz, Wiley and the myriad of similarly gritty urban artists emerging at the minute may wish to stake a claim for their work entirely on their own terms, it has to be admitted that the endeavours of a certain teenage East Londoner - Dizzee Rascal to be precise - certainly opened a lot of doors. Wiley acted as a guest here and there, Taz lent his production-skills on some key moments, and suddenly both of them had a weighty name to add to their list of admirers. It's certainly helped.
But now Taz is where he's wanted to be, he can stand up on his own admirably. 'Analyse This' is anything but an easy listen, but is infinitely more gentle on the ears than the abrasiveness of the Rascal's 'Boy In Da Corner', his rapping style much less piercing, his gift for an actual tune arguably superior. This is a lad who can write proper melodies, is as au fait with the idea of seduction as on the wry sleaze of 'Cowboy' as he is with donning the backwards cap of the traditional rap self-publicist on the welcome half-time beat abnormality of opener 'Only God Can Judge Me'.
'Analyse This' is more full of things that make Taz a worthy contender to his numerous comparable rappers rather than instances that suggest his superiority, but if there is anything to be found here that is truly distinctive in the current climate, it's the boy's knack for writing a chorus. Whilst the fact that it's kinder on the listener and brimming with poppy hooks (none more so than the suave 'Lonely Lady) means that any in-depth examination such as the kind requested by the title is unlikely to take place (perhaps that was precisely the point?), it ensures that it can be enjoyed on what is perhaps an intellectually less stimulating but still enjoyable level.
Perhaps that explains why to some, Taz will fall a little short when he talks about the dirtier side of life he and his acquaintances have experienced. Whilst it'll be uplifting, inspiring even, to anyone currently in a similar situation (why is it that so many people forging this particular genre seem to make it big only after, if their lyrics are to be taken literally, having it so bloody rough in previous years?), for people who have been lucky enough not to see such hardship, it'll only be the tunes that connect and not the content of the rhymes, especially on the otherwise tender likes of closing duo 'Imagine This' and 'Live & Learn'.
But as this reporter stares at his new computer, listening to the record in question on its plush speakers in the warmth and comfort of some smart immediate surrounding, it dawns that maybe this is the least qualified person to comment. There's some truth in that, and whilst it's of course an artist's own prerogative to make a record that can aim at whatever audience they like, it's also the case that the real cream of artists of this ilk can transport you to this world, rather than make you feel miles away from it. Taz has yet to entirely overcome this problem of distance.
It only matters when he exercises the necessary talent to tell it like it is, and quite bluntly, not a lot of us have had it like Taz has. But thankfully for all concerned, he's not high and mighty enough to go on about it all the time. There are clearly other issues to the life of this individual, and the variety works a treat in both word content and sound. Whilst it may put you in your place rather than transport you to a world of its own, 'Analyse This' does so in the best way possible - playing to its strengths, and playing some tunes.
Artists in this article: Taz
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