‘Full English’ Review
You know the feeling. You wake up after a night out, mouth
dry, head spinning, clothes missing (or is that just me?) and all you really
want is a full English breakfast. If you’re going out on Christmas Eve, that’s
exactly what you’ll get on the following morning, except it won’t be served up
by the Greek fella with a wonky eye from the greasy cafe down the road. On this
occasion, the chefs are Danny Graft, Jonny Dutch and Scotty Stacks (they sound
like Marvel characters, I know) and together they form The Manor.
Full English is the name of their third mixtape and it will
be on your desktops on Christmas day. Downloading it really ought to be the
first thing you do because, let’s face it, there’s only so many renditions of
Wizard, Slade and tedious Channel 4 countdowns you can sit through before its
predictability drives you to downing rather than sipping your mug of mediocre mulled
wine. Consider this CD a present from everyone at The Manor, a gift, a
god-send, something to indulge in while you’re waiting for Only Fools and
Horses to come on BBC1.
As someone who has been an observer and admirer of The Manor’s work from their very first mixtape, I can honestly say that this latest edition, Full English, is an accurate representation of their evolution and development as well as their maturity as recording artists. There’s always been an overwhelming dose of originality and creativity in their music; the way it’s presented and produced, the humour, the light-hearted skits and even the visuals. One theme resonates throughout their projects and that is the realness and the ability for everyone to relate. Don’t expect guns, drugs and tales of terror; leave that to Denzel and De Niro. The tunes you will hear are a portrayal of events and emotions experienced by three boys who live on the border of the city and the ‘burbs, from nights out (good ones, mad ones, sh*t ones) and lads holidays abroad to relationships, romances, and the trials and tribulations of working class people. There’s a refreshing feel-good factor about this mixtape, a sensation of relief as you realise that among the heaps of bullsh*t you get thrown down your ear-holes on the radio – there still exists a small tribe of people who make good, honest music.
As someone who has been an observer and admirer of The Manor’s work from their very first mixtape, I can honestly say that this latest edition, Full English, is an accurate representation of their evolution and development as well as their maturity as recording artists. There’s always been an overwhelming dose of originality and creativity in their music; the way it’s presented and produced, the humour, the light-hearted skits and even the visuals. One theme resonates throughout their projects and that is the realness and the ability for everyone to relate. Don’t expect guns, drugs and tales of terror; leave that to Denzel and De Niro. The tunes you will hear are a portrayal of events and emotions experienced by three boys who live on the border of the city and the ‘burbs, from nights out (good ones, mad ones, sh*t ones) and lads holidays abroad to relationships, romances, and the trials and tribulations of working class people. There’s a refreshing feel-good factor about this mixtape, a sensation of relief as you realise that among the heaps of bullsh*t you get thrown down your ear-holes on the radio – there still exists a small tribe of people who make good, honest music.
The melodies, the punch-lines, the authenticity of the beats
are evident throughout and blend together to create The Manor’s unique and
instantly distinguishable identity. There’s also a subtle air of nostalgia sewn
into the songs, the skits add to it too, and this is the reason why I am
confident that any listener regardless of their age will enjoy a listen. Songs
like ‘Shut Your Mouth’ and ‘Swings and Roundabouts’ inject a more aggressive
tone to proceedings but it’s still not overly exaggerated or glorified beyond the
realms of reality. These really are well-thought out, immaculately put together
pieces of music and they just keep getting better and better with each mixtape.
Don’t take my word for it, head over to www.welcometothemanor.co.uk and
download Full English as well as their previous two mixtapes if you haven’t
heard them, they receive my strongest recommendation.
Merry Christmas!
Follow @_TheManor
Words by @RikyBains1
