Wiley - 'Playtime's Over' track-by-track

It’s the showdown Blur and Oasis could only have dreamed of... Haha not really. But the same day Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Maths and English’ drops, 4 June, also sees Wil release only his second fully label-released album, ‘Playtime's Over’ on Big Dada. While Diz is dallying with the mainstream with his collabs with the likes of the Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen (Dazed say it’s great, Prancehall says its meh, I’m definitely inclined to believe the latter), his mentor-turned-enemy-turned-nonplussed elder is promising to keep it truly grimey, learning from his lesson that compromising for commercial success gets you nowhere (hold tight Roll Deep’s dreary ‘In At The Deep End’ album on Reckless). Has he succeeded? Here’s a track-by-track rundown:

1) 50-50
Anatomical breakdown of how Wiley’s second record deal is better than his first with XL. (50% upfront, 50% later.) Wiley always has the funniest content. “It’s not 2% after recruitment blud”.
2) Bow E3
A murderous bassline courtesy of Maniac that lays waste to all before it, the vocal included. It’s worth it though.
3) Slipping
Another scorching, oscillating GRIME beat. This is the Eski sound transported into 2007, which makes sense of course. The chorus does that singing-but-doing-so-totally-amelodically thing that pisses me off, but it's still a big tune. “I was slipping in south-west London…” what was he doing in south-west London?
4) Flyboy Remix
Chopped up techy drums from the Boy Better Know camp. This makes it four devastating grime tracks to kick off, a bold bit of toploading from Big Dada.
5) Baby Girl
First slow track, nice reverb on the drums, a clear improvement on the slower songs about life, love and responsibility that were on ‘Treddin on Thin Ice’.
6) Gangsters
Club/radio banger off The 2nd Phaze number one.
7) Stars
A really simple creeper of a beat, like a less melodic Danny Weed production. Wiley still sending for everyone on the vocal, he’s lost none of his aggression.
8) Letter to Dizzee
Icy glockenspiel melody makes this tune sound like a heart-rending break-up tune, which of course it is (see title). In contrast to Stars, this is Wiley doing his growing up: “When I reach 30 I’ve got to be nice…”
9) No Qualms
AKA ‘I Wear My Own Garms’.
10) Johnny Was A Badboy
Club/radio banger off The 2nd Phaze number two
11) Nothing About Me
Plaintive piano track and a sadly-sung vocal from I’m not sure who. A successful r’n’b weepie with a brooding undertone.
12) Come Lay With Me
Female vocal all over it, dominating the song, ululating entrancingly.
13) Get Along Gang
An immediate mover of a beat, like some uhhfked up version of the Rainbow soundtrack (the title is a late 80s American kids cartoon show, some connection maybe). The bass on this one MOVES, seems like an immediate highlight. “I’m a real mic man not a barrister”. Dun know.
14) Eskiboy
Club/radio banger off The 2nd Phaze number three, slightly remastered (still got the Spandau Ballet skit tho).
15) Playtime’s Over
I think I was busy finishing my tea when this track was on, cause I have no notes on it apart from ‘it's not a new beat’. Yeah nice one Dan, way to come through with the details.

Overall? It's a great album, it's a grime album, it's a label album. And I can't remember the last time I was able to apply all three of those descriptions to one CD. Hold tight all the record labels. Hello.

And yeah, we’re taking the piss with the Wiley interview, sorry. Do you have any idea how long it takes to transcribe an hour’s worth of conversation with a man whose every other word is ‘reh-reh-reh’ though? SOON COME :D