Bob Vylan - ‘Humble as The Sun’ review
Bob Vylan by Ki Price
It’s crazy to think it’s been two years since the iconic Bob Vylan Presents The Price of Life. The duo that is Bob Vylan have torn the UK a new one since the pandemic era, and are now one of the stronger and wiser units on the scene. New album, Humble As The Sun pitched “rage and urgency”, using more elements from punk to drum and bass, grime and rock. Humble As The Sun dropped on 5 April via Ghost Theatre, here’s what we thought:
The opening/title track begins more in the form of lounge/spoken word, then moves into an excellent flow. Pre-release materials said that Humble As The Sun “pauses to deliver much-needed words of affirmation to listeners”. That feels like the note it starts on here. It’s clearly a personal track in place of where the title may have suggested something more satirical. ‘Humble as the Sun’, the track, has some very poignant couplets of lyrics. These nail Vylans position as a self-made act and one of a kind at that. “Shine Blackman shine, completing all my goals on Blackman time”.
‘Watch me Reign’ also builds upon the big-time atmosphere that seems to surround the entirety of Humble As The Sun. The key word of that opening sentence is “atmosphere”. This track is a constant stream of atmosphere and a sponge for listener attention. The 2nd half brings in rumbling bass after a sample that lambasts the ongoing cost of living crisis. Bobby’s vocals proceed to drop absolute napalm for the rest of the track. This isn’t completely untouched ground from Bob Vylan, but it’s a very welcome addition to their catalogue and direction.
Vylan as an act has this incredible ability to combine dense imagery of a darker society with what is sonically a more optimistic sound. ‘Get Yourself A Gun’ centres around the exact topic you’d expect. The Vylan act is typically referred to as a punk duo, even by Bobby himself when we attended their Leeds show in November. That said, ‘GYAG’ is an exposition of some more excellent rapping that would honestly put them at home on various concert bills around the country. ‘GYAG’ has a constant oscillating pace that although discussing crime and dark nights perfectly embodies Bobby’s lyric of “I’m in the kitchen cooking so comfortably” with how jovial it is… whilst also wiping its arse with the Union Jack. I respect it.
‘Dream Big’ kicks off the section of the album that needs no introduction. This track dropped in July last year, so it feels like furniture by now. But it remains an absolute favourite in Vylan’s catalogue. While the subject is overtly something that may be less relatable to some listeners, the use of children’s voices in the gang vocals at the beginning of the track help route it. Each track has a core theme, with ‘Dream Big’ being one of the best examples of resilience and potential.
‘Hunger Games’ has been very well discussed by us. We reviewed the single when it dropped back in Jan and it continues the yo-yoing tone of the album. 'Hunger Games' keeps a constant frenetic energy going, this time lambasting the economic focus of the UK and the lack of living standards.
‘Right Here’ acts as a pick-up of sorts, sampling Fatboy Slim whilst Bobby has a stellar performance rapping alongside the track. His style here is more animated and performative than the usual confrontational tone. Bobbie’s excellent work on the kit is also spliced with a very real sample of Bobby ripping the piss out of someone at a live show. Personally, the addition of that sample towards the end of the track advanced things a lot. The incident in question was semi-recent in the band's history but helped remind us how much they’ve grown since then.
The latter half of Humble As The Sun is a left-turn for what sounds you’re expecting per song. ‘Makes Me Violent’ dropped as a single in March, and is probably the most chilled track of the album. It's also one of the most obvious tracks in exposing obvious issues in society. The slower pace and way Bobby drags out the lyrics “no violence” feels a bit tongue-in-cheek. Almost as a prod at some of the people who believe the country should not avoid violence. The same people who are willingly turning a blind eye and playing dumb to obvious and very violent incidents in plain sight.
Now, ‘He’s a Man’ needs exactly zero introduction in this house. It made it on my Best Songs of 2023 list. But for highlighting exactly what Bob Vylan is, this personally feels like one of, if not the most perfect example. It’s confrontational and sarcastic, but also funny and so well performed. No one is safe from Bob Vylan, but this particular take on the typical ‘Bloke’ feels well overdue, and is stylised excellently. That said, ‘He’s A Man’ may just be the calm before the storm. The final two tracks, ‘Ring the Alarm’ & ‘I’m Still Here' are like a nuke to end the album on.
'Ring The Alarm' ties in with 'He's a Man' for my favourite track on the album. But the approach 'Ring The Alarm' takes is so much more in your face. It has a constant almost patrolling bassline, which changes before each chorus to such a harsh, picked note that builds such a tense aura in the track. It has some shockingly memorable and striking lyrics. The main lyric "And if he shot the sheriff, you know I shot the deputy" is such a unifying message for the way the two have built this unbreakable image as a duo.
The final track, ‘I’m Still Here’ is a disruptive final battering of a perspective. The obvious issue at hand is the suppression of POC communities and the working class. The way Bob Vylan round off Humble As The Sun screaming is a final “f**k you”. Though the entire album is spitting in the face of various forms of oppression, ‘I’m Still Here’ feels deeply personal to Bob Vylan, and genuinely angry. Vylan finishing the album on such an incendiary number feels bold, but as we’ve come to expect from them, it's authentic.
This is what's excellent about Bob Vylan. The unique perspective that's never shied away from and puts a spotlight on very prevalent issues and experiences. But Humble As The Sun also gives bucketloads of credit to the achievements the duo have already had and will continue to receive.
Humble As The Sun from Bob Vylan is out now via Ghost Theatre and is available on all good streaming platforms.
