CD REVIEW: WU-TANG CLAN A BETTER TOMORROW

FOR all the bad language, calling out those who seek to wrong them, the bragging about jewellery and shouting, the overall feeling of the Wu-Tang Clan’s latest album is pretty bland.

At the beginning of the album, one track flows into another with very similar aggressive beats, gun shooting and martial arts film samples in the background and, of course, plenty of swearing.

There’s no doubt about it – Wu-Tang are back and they really, really do want you to know about it.

I don’t think it will go down as a classic in hip-hop like their earlier works have, but it is sure to please fans who have been waiting for a new album from the group for seven years.

It doesn’t break any new ground and, apart from ‘Preacher’s Daughter’, there aren’t any other truly stand-out tracks.

The aforementioned ‘Preacher’s Daughter’ samples – you guessed it – Dusty Springfield’s ‘Son of a Preacher Man’.

The end of the album is a far more chilled out, honest and enjoyable affair.

‘A Better Tomorrow’ is a gem of a track, the sample of ‘Wake Up Everybody’ performed by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, sitting quite beautifully in the middle of the empowering lyrics.

Samples seem to play a big part on the album – Martin Luther King’s iconic ‘I have a Dream’ speech can be found on ‘Never Let Go’.

‘Wu-Tang Reunion’ has a summery feeling to it and it makes it plain that the group are very much happy to be back working together after their hiatus.

CATHERINE BOLADO