Stereo MC's: Deep Down & Dirty : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

England's Stereo MC's hit big in 1992 with Connected, an irresistibly danceable amalgamation of breakbeats and soulful hip-hop sensibility. The album won the band acclaim (not to mention awards) at home, and radio airplay in America, but the Stereos couldn't maintain the momentum, and they took a time out -- one that lasted for nine years. Now the band has -- without much fanfare -- returned with Deep Down & Dirty. And, as they make clear from the first note, they're back with a vengeance. With its preponderance of loping beats and funk-infused grooves, the album does little to update the Stereos' sound, but no matter: The band sounds as vital as ever. Frontman Rob Birch always delivered his lyrics in a controlled sing-speak that barely hid his latent aggression. Here, he infuses the same raspy raps with a confident, street-smart swagger. The others, meanwhile, back his bravado with beats both trip-hop and hip-hop, adding fuel to Birch's fire with abrasive keyboards, thumping bass and the odd trumpet blast. "I stop at nothing/At nothing I stop," Birch cries on "Stop at Nothing." With a revitalized Stereo MC's behind him, he sounds entirely convincing.

NINA PEARLMAN
(June 11, 2001)