The Defamation of Strickland Banks (Plan B)
from 679/ Atlantic
Disk 1: - Love Goes Down - Writing's On The Wall - Stay Too Long - She Said - Welcome To Hell - Hard Times - The Recluse - Traded In My Cigarettes - Prayin' - Darkest Place - Free - I Know A Song - What You Gonna Do
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Customer Rating: 
Binding/Format: Audio CD
Release Date: 12/04/2010
Availability: dispatched within 24 hours
Index: Music
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Music Pod Price: £7.93
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The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, the second LP from Forest Gate-bred singer/musician Ben Drew, will be a surprise for anyone who spent meaningful time with his 2006 debut Who Needs Actions When You’ve Got Words. That album cast him as a potty-mouthed rapper, threatening to stab you with a biro over choppy acoustic guitar. Now, following a quick makeover, he re-emerges as blue-eyed soul singer, fronting a suite of bittersweet love songs steeped in vintage Stax and Motown. What might seem a rushed rebranding makes more sense if you know a little about Drew's creative drive, though; obsessed with cinema and narrative, Plan B is a storyteller at heart, and …Strickland Banks' songs trace a tale through the London underworld, Drew playing a soul singer from the East End jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. It's a concept that works, thanks largely to Drew’s voice--surprisingly strong, and more than capable of handling everything from upbeat Northern soul to fraught numbers like "Welcome To Hell". The narrative never overwhelms the quality of the songs, though, and for anyone disappointed such an impressively angry man has gone a bit Paolo Nutini on us, there's the occasional rap delivered with anger more savage for its infrequent deployment. –-Louis Pattison
PLAN B THE DEFAMATION OF STRICKLAND BANKS  Sent: 03 September 2010
WORTH EVERY PENNY, REFRESHING NEW SOUND, GREAT FOR THE CAR WITH SOME FANTASTIC UP BEAT SOUNDS AS WELL AS SOME DEEP SING A LONG TUNES. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED
Fab CD Sent: 31 August 2010
Cannot remember when I last enjoyed a CD as much as this one. The whole idea of the story, lyrics, music etc. is gripping and I think Ben Drew a huge talent
Sensational CD! Sent: 31 August 2010
What an amazing CD! My daughter bought it for me and I haven't stopped playing it since. It is reminiscent of a Curtis Mayfield album that I had years ago which featured Moving on Up, Freddys Dead and Superfly as that too is a concept album. In places, Drew's voice bears a marked simularity to Mayfield's. When I listened to it first, I wondered whether the story would wear a bit thin after a while but that hasn't happened yet. Ben Drew's voice is so beautiful, plaintive, emotive. His rapping is also very cool, most interestingly in Stay Too Long where it becomes frantic in line with the story. Best songs? Praying, the Recluse - you know, they're all good! Check it out!
Plan B Sent: 26 August 2010
I had only heard a couple of songs from Plan B before buying this album but had heard how good others thought it was and they were right. There is just 1 song which is a bit loud for my taste (even my son was shocked)but I usually skip that one!
A gift Sent: 26 August 2010
I purchased this CD as a gift so cannot say anything personally about it - the person who received the CD said it was brilliant.
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Associated music album categories: Pop, Rock |
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