Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Illy, Sony Music 2020.
Alasdair Murray, better known as Illy, has been a strong voice on the Australian hip-hop scene for a number of years.
The Melbournian has won multiple ARIA Awards, released five studio albums (his fifth, Two Degrees, debuted at number one on the ARIA chart and was nominated for three awards) and his latest album, The Space Between, is due for release this year.
Loose Ends is his latest single and it’s a collaboration with fellow Melbournian and Australian favourite G-Flip.
The song was written on a trip to Darwin with his long-time producer Cam Bluff and it’s the second single he’s released this year.
Last Laugh was released earlier in the year and it followed upon a series of singles released throughout 2019; Lean On Me, Then What, and Codes so by the time the album is released many of the tracks will have already had considerable airtime, assuming they actually appear on the album.
Like most Australian music artists Illy has been hit hard by the shutdown caused by COVID-19.
All live performers are feeling the pain but for the ARIA winner for Best Live Act the inability to tour must be particularly hard.
Hip-hop is not usually my scene but there are exceptions and Illy is one of them.
I like the musicality he brings to his work.
It seems to have a distinctly Australian flavour to it rather than repeating the much admired rhythmic patterns imported from the home of hip-hop in the USA.
The fact that he sings most of his lyrics also works in his favour.
I’m looking forward to the release of the album.
Apparently he’s been working on it since 2017.
