Trip - River Phoenix
Acclaimed by Xfm as on of their top tips for 2009, Trip is a silver-tongued spitter with a lyrical affinity for the rollercoaster ride of city living - the comedy and drama played out in everyday lives. His debut single, River Phoenix, tells the unfortunate tale of poor Mike and a missed opportunity.
With no shortage of synth or swagger, the march-like beat pounds relentlessly much in the same vein as early Streets tracks. Trip's plain cockney vernacular is also alarmingly similar to that of Mike Skinner, with whiffs of Scroobious Pip and Just Jack in equal measure to keep things interesting.
This genre-splicing wideboy pop is nothing enormously fresh or unheard of, but it's upbeat, stylish and very listenable. It's hard to say where Trip's musical wheeling and dealings will take him, but he's off to a good start with such an energetic debut.
Rating: 5/5
Anthony Hill