Listening to this record by Bristol DJ/Production duo The Allergies brings a real feeling of blissful nostalgia. It’s very retro but in a kind of futuristic way. Not for nothing did BBC 6Music’s Craig Charles say they were “funk and soul for the 21st century.”
There are two elements to Freak The Speaker – there’s the rap side of the coin, which is truly old school, evoking memories of NWA, Naughty By Nature and Ice-T, and then there’s the truly uplifting Northern Soul leanings of tracks like ‘Knock Me Off My Feet‘ – which is a beefed up and utterly joyful take on Clarence Murray‘s 1969 recording ‘Dancing To The Beat‘ – and the ultra-smooth soul of ‘I Feel It‘. Hell, they even mix genres on the irresistible ‘One Time‘, which you can watch the video for at the bottom of this very page.
Despite their Bristol roots, there’s no Trip-hop hiding here anywhere (well, perhaps vaguely here and there, but not much). It’s very much a ‘positive vibes all the way’ kind of thing, the juxtaposition of Dr. Syntax‘s rapping on ‘My Own Way‘ with the dreamy, higher pitched vocals something of a stroke of genius.
I feel like a teenager again as I listen to Freak The Speaker, although admittedly through rose-tinted spectacles, because with such wistfulness, you tend to forget how hard it was to be that age, when you’re older, so full credit to The Allergies to making my memories of that period of my life feel so golden! I mean, sure, there are some moments here that you could absolutely imagine Will Smith using for one of his many hits (especially ‘Let Me Hear You Say‘), and occasionally the voices sound a little mawkish, as on the winsome closing track ‘Ever Been‘, yet, in the hands of this duo, everything sounds ravishing.
In summation then, The Allergies have created an album of infinitely listenable tunes that never outstay their welcome, with most of them clocking in around the ‘perfect pop song’ length of three and a half minutes. My only criticism is the overuse of the “oohs” on ‘Somewhere To Be‘, which I found really grating. It’s a shame because otherwise, that tune is a whole lot of fun. Honestly, it’s exceptionally annoying and completely ruins it. I actually found it stressful to listen to, which is completely at odds with the rest of the record.
Overlooking that though, above all else, Freak The Speaker makes you want to dance. I must have lost at least a stone already since I put the album on! Great stuff. Apart from that one track anyway. What were they thinking?!
