Bob Vylan have solidified their position as one of punk’s most significant voices. They previously released an album titled ‘Bob Vylan Presents: The Price Of Life,’ which reached the Top 20 on the album charts in 2022; that same year, the duo won the first-ever MOBO for Best Alternative Act. Despite being independent and releasing music on their own label, Ghost Theatre, Bob Vylan has resisted the urge to water down their sound.
Bob Vylan has extended their musical horizons with their latest album, ‘Humble As The Sun.’ The record blends punk, hip-hop, rock, grime, rap, trap, drum and bass, and electronic influences. The lyrics cover an array of themes, from economic disparities (‘Hunger Games’) to toxic masculinity (‘He’s A Man’). The title track takes on exploitation in the music industry, with lines that signify, “Now watch me as I fight back/ For every reggae artist that never got their rights back/That died broke and hungry on the island of Jamaica/While someone at Island Records made a killing off the right tracks.”
In addition, the album’s lyrics showcase the duo’s trademark sense of humor. On ‘Reign,’ lead vocalist Bobby Vylan raps about how “I was a victim of one crime/Was it a gun crime?/No. Bob Vylan got robbed for the Mercury!” The album’s lyrical strength stems from the duo’s ability to address various topics on each track. For example, ‘Reign’ takes on colonisation, police brutality, racism, and wealth inequality in today’s UK.
The album ‘Humble As The Sun’ starts with piano and organ and concludes with a series of positive affirmations over a drum and bass beat in ‘Hunger Games’, having raucous riffs. The musical variety keeps the listener engaged, and the duo is versatile in the album, not surrendering any intensity. The songs’ urgency comes in different forms, from the electrifying riffs of ‘Get Yourself A Gun,’ with Bobby’s reserved chorus delivery, to ‘Reign,’ which takes a darker musical and lyrical tone. ‘Makes Me Violent’ presents a steady, chilled-out melody, but its lyrics criticize the hypocrisy of a country that perpetuates violence while warning people off it.
However, these contrasts reflect the album’s tenacity in the face of adversity. The album concludes with ‘I’m Still Here,’ which captures Bob Vylan’s fire with Bobby singing, “I survived/I survived/I survived!” It demonstrates the band’s endurance and capacity to evolve and challenge themselves. Bob Vylan has undoubtedly created an album that will resonate with their audiences regardless of where they go.
‘Humble As The Sun’ is set to release on April 5, 2024, and will be released under the Ghost Theatre label
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