After bagging Best Newcomer Act at 2017’s MOBO Awards, Dave now returns with introspective new single, “Hangman.”
Carried by a minimalist, piano-laden beat (produced by Nana Rogues), Dave uses the booth like a confessional, inspecting his surroundings with lyrical precision. It is as though he has frozen time and taken a moment to contemplate, assess his situation and record his findings to take the listener on a tour through his environment.
A rarity in rap, the track is drumless for much of the song, just high-hats providing what little bounce there is until the low-key drums kick in at the halfway point. This emphasises the earnest songwriting, keeping Dave as the main attraction with his cascading rhyme schemes and clever wordplay. He lets up only to allow the ironically jaunty piano outro provide the listener with some restbite after the persistent airing out of hard truths.
Over the years, Dave has proven himself as one of the best lyricists to come out of London on platforms like SB.TV’s “Warm Up Session,“ Charlie Sloth’s “Fire in the Booth“ and his 2 EPs. Judging by his new single, that is not about to change.