Klashnekoff: Back to the Sagas

In 2007, Klashnekoff released one of the best British hip-hop albums of the decade, Lionheart. Three years later and the follow-up arrives, but it seems likely few will find it worth the wait. Where Lionheart was vibrant, Back to the Sagas sounds tired. It appears to have been a struggle to assemble, while the vignettes of urban strife ring a little familiar. In fact, despite his lyrical insistence on determination and self-reliance, the rapper sounds lacking in self-confidence while despairing references to "MySpace accounts" make him sound like a man ill at ease with the current scene. There are highlights – Music Game and Paper Up – but the biggest loss is Joe Buddha, the producer behind Lionheart. He's responsible for just two tracks here, and his melodic sense and innovation are clearly missed.