Roots Manuva – “One Thing” (audio) (Singles Going Steady)

Adrien Begrand: The UK hip-hop great’s new single is so simple in approach — a murky, nasty dub groove that creeps along menacingly — but it gives Rodney Smith ample room to deliver a pointed diatribe against the allure of money and society’s (music especially) perpetual willingness to bleed people dry. “How could we hate the Queen, when the social bill seems so obscene and it helped to create the scene that put the people where the people be here?” It’s food for thought. [7/10]

Jordan Blum: This track has some interesting elements (like the chimes and certain effects), but it also has some annoying ones (like the robotic chorus). All in all, it’s extremely repetitive and generic; I feel like I’ve heard this approach and production many times before, so it doesn’t add anything new to the field. Actually, it doesn’t even feel that musical; instead, it’s like a superficial novelty of clashing sounds that irritate far too easily. I suppose it would fit as the background wallpaper of a party, but it doesn’t warrant any deeper listening (especially since there are many other artists in the same genre doing more innovative and thought-provoking). [2/10]