Speech Debelle Speech Therapy (Big Dada)
Debelle (born Corynne Elliot) is strongest when her words tumble out, shocking observations and sweet accusations falling all over each other in the style she explains on the titular track: 'This is my speech therapy, this isn't rap.'
Debelle's south London accent and a range of instrumental accompaniment are an intriguing contrast with lyrics about her absent father, her time as a runaway and drug allusions. The Key is the album's best track: jazzy backbeats and clever rhymes pushed by an understated message showcase her cute-tough charisma.
The verbal tour de force loses steam when she slows down to distil observations into lessons. Cliches such as 'The world keeps spinning changing the lives of people in it/Nobody knows where it will take us' are more frustrating when they show up on the same track (Spinnin') that starts: 'This is for the tat on my wrist, this is for the black of my fist/This is for the S in my lisp, this is for my beating heart in my chest.'