Crate Digging: Sophie Urquhart, Music Supervisor

“…this album feels in the spirit of those classic artists, balancing an artistic swagger with crucial messages.”

Michael by Killer Mike

My frontline pick is Michael by Killer Mike. I’ve been a fan of most things he puts his name to (Outkast / Run The Jewels) however I wasn’t fully up to speed on the span of his solo career, so was pretty impressed to hear that this is album number six and it won three Grammys including best rap album! 

A white British woman reviewing an album which delves into themes of Black masculinity and the struggles against racism in America is an exercise in complexity, to say the least. These are devastating and provocative themes, and Killer Mike’s unflinching missives and relentless artistry make them all the more resonant.

I grew up as a fan of The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang, The Fugees, Dr. Dre and Tupac so certain strains of hip-hop have always been an important part of my musical world. I can listen in any headspace and (at the risk of sounding a bit Kendall Roy) it always gets me - and this album feels in the spirit of those classic artists, balancing an artistic swagger with crucial messages.

From blending classic '90s hip hop and trap on ‘Run’ and ‘Talk’n That Shit!’ and foregrounding a powerful gospel chorus on ‘Shed Tears’, the production is a rich tapestry of styles but never feels forced or over the top. Alongside the pull-no-punches lyrics and well-placed features (André 3000, Dave Chappell, Young Thug, Future..) it makes for a soulful soundtrack to rebellion.

While he’s an avid activist with a strong idealogical streak, Render is also a storyteller and man of the people and has the ability to immerse the listener fully in his worldview. The result is a very personal and introspective album experience.

Some album highlights for me include ‘Don’t Let The Devil’, I absolutely love the original track it samples ‘It’s So hard to Break A Habit’ by Webs. ‘Two Days’ is effortlessly slick and ‘Motherless’ is a deep grief narrative about losing the two most important women in his life.

Needless to say, I won’t be getting much ad sync for this album but it’s a masterpiece nonetheless.

Chronicle: 20 Greatest Hits by Creedence Clearwater Revival

My catalogue pick has to be CREEDENCE. I know I know, Best Of’s are so sloppy but there are so many jams that I couldn’t choose just one album.

It takes me right back to the countryside village I grew up in with my parents and three older siblings, singing at the top of our voices round the kitchen table after a few too many glasses of red. We would pick apart the genius of the guitar riffs and Fogerty’s raw, emotional lyrics as we hugged and professed our drunken sibling love for each other. 

This album highlights some of the best of their impressive, yet fairly short, career. Despite their relatively brief run they managed to knock out a wealth of hits spanning rock, folk, Americana, blues, country and soul. 

From the top, ‘Susie Q’ is a cover of a '50s rockabilly classic and has one of the slickest openings to a song, it oozes cool and was the band’s first big hit. There are two other notable covers here in ‘I Put A Spell On You’ and ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’, the originals being undeniable gems in their own right, and beautifully updated when given the Creedence treatment.

For me, ‘Long As I Can See The Light’ is where I’m truly hooked. The intro makes me well up instantaneously and by the time Fogerty’s gravelly voice comes in my face is already scrunched up in painful anticipation for the heartfelt lyrics “Put a candle in the window-owoohoohoo” and by now I've picked up a wooden spoon and we’re in full involuntary live performance sing-a-long. Something else I love about this track is how adaptable and universal the lyrics are. Back in my family kitchen we definitely shoehorned the track into most life themes including relationships, travel, careers, family. “Though I’m going, going, I’ll be coming home soon, long as I can see the light” *sobs quietly*. 

I wanna know how 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain?’ manages to perfectly balance joyful and melancholy at the same time, it’s nothing short of brilliant. The track is about the unravelling of the band after a few years of huge success and again is told in a simple metaphorical way which just works, and sticks. 

I think for a lot of people 'Proud Mary' is forever Ike & Tina’s song and while they definitely bought a whole new energy and success to it, it’s a classic Creedence anthem. Country with a touch of gospel, what’s not to love. ‘Down On The Corner’ has the most infectious bouncing beat, Fortunate Son is a powerful antiwar anthem (Fogerty served during the Vietnam war) and ‘Looking’ Out My Back Door’ has some brilliantly trippy lyrics! 

And that concludes my Creedence appreciation post. Thank you for listening.