‘Disc-overy’ is worth discovering

“Written In the Stars,” the debut single in the U.S., from British import Tinie Tempah, seems poised on the brink of summer anthem status.
 
Surprisingly, its syrupy pop-produced sound could arguably be a B.O.B. song if you take out Tempah’s heavy accent — which makes it (ironically enough) the least exciting song on the stateside release of his debut album.

“Disc-overy” is an interesting collection of catchy, grimy pop-hop tunes. It’s a different sound than the U.S. Top-40 audience is used to, but it manages to stay radio-ready enough to please both picky listeners and those yearning for distinctiveness.
Tempah spits out every word with his London-bred, mouthy British inflection, shelling out rhymes of familiar themes — partying hard, opinions on the attractiveness of certain assets of women — in ways that seem fresh and new.

“Pass Out” and “Frisky” are two club-ready, thumping singles whose beats pull elements of dubstep, dance hall and house together under a hip-hop hood. It’s these types of songs that make Tempah shine. Any strikes on the album’s count come from attempts at crowd-pleasing.

“Love Suicide (ft. Ester Dean)” sounds like a knock-off Eminem weeper, and “Miami 2 Ibiza (ft. Swedish House Mafia),” is an unoriginal attempt at house-pop that sounds like a Pitbull song if he had a cockney accent.

Stick with songs like the sweetly nostalgic, grooving “Snap,” or “Wonderman (ft. Ellie Goulding),” on a sparkling hook. Though he’s had heavy radio play, Tempah manages to avoid being producer-reliant or gimmicky. In today’s popular hip-hop scene, that’s pretty miraculous.

By Kelly Fritz
kelfritz@umail.iu.edu