It is somewhat surprising that it’s taken this long for the Tottenham rapper Wretch 32 to release an album titled Upon Reflection. Many people will remember him for breaking the Top 10 in 2011 with bombastic party singles Traktor and Unorthodox (with Example), but he is well-respected by his peers and dedicated UK rap fans as a thoughtful wordsmith, known for soul-searching, weighty album tracks and freestyles tackling grief, racism and police brutality. On his fifth studio album, Wretch turns his unflinchingly direct lyricism to the subject of gender on lead single Mummy’s Boy (“There’s power in empowering a woman”) and to struggles with mental health on the downbeat title track.
But where his last album, 2017’s FR32, occasionally suffered under the weight of its own seriousness, Upon Reflection shows Wretch loosening up.
An undoubted highlight is Spin Around, a lilting, melodic track produced by 169 (Dave, Mabel) that channels Wretch’s Caribbean heritage. There is further lightness on the lilting Visiting Hours, and the joyful All In, featuring Burna Boy.
Wretch has cited James Blake and SZA as unlikely sources of inspiration for this record. While Upon Reflection doesn’t exactly sound like post-dubstep or R&B, it’s plain to hear that he is feeling freer and more experimental with genre. The album’s stand-out, though, is a return to classic, fast-spitting Fire in the Booth form, facing off with Giggs on the ice-cold 10/10 – a track that scores itself.
