Album Review: The Boy Who Played The Harp by Dave

The British rapper's third album is a particularly serious affair, tackling religion, guilt and the allure of fame Within a few years of Dave's presence in UK rap, it became apparent that he wanted to be a voice for the oppressed and wrestle with his demons on record (a British Kendrick Lamar, perhaps). His past two albums have featured a divide between mainstream tracks and more weighty material, but The Boy Who Played The Harp is particularly serious, as Dave addresses his conflicted feelings on religion, guilt about the life he left behind and the allure of fame and celebrity. 175 Months has a distinctive arrangement of bass, chipmunked vocal samples and arrhythmic snare rolls scuttling across the mid-range.

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"This is God's plan," begins Dave on 'History' - a plan he's in the process of making happen. He's got a strong case, too. At 27, with three critically acclaimed LPs under his belt, it feels like the world is running out of superlatives with which to describe him. What more can you say about arguably the UK's leading rapper? It's been four years since 2021's 'We're All Alone In This Together', but Dave hasn't been totally quiet since then, with standalone Central Cee collab single 'Sprinter' becoming a massive global hit in 2023.

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At this point in his career, Dave could do anything. With the biggest honours in the land nestling in his trophy cabinet, collected across two acclaimed studio albums and any number of record-breaking singles , he's got nothing to prove to anyone. Released earlier today , 'The Boy Who Played The Harp' opts to evade easy questions, instead wrestling with difficult, complex notions of societal improvement and spiritual nourishment.

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