Young Fathers

For some, this Edinburgh via Africa alternative hip-hop trio was the highlight of last year’s Great Escape festival. It was easy to see why on the strength of this powerhouse headline performance. Blurring the lines between the idiosyncratic Outkast and the conscious lyrics of the seminal Public Enemy, alongside dubstep and traditional influences from two thirds of the groups’ Nigerian and Liberian heritage, Young Fathers’ sound was both immediately familiar and strikingly different. Irresistibly kinetic on stage (Kayus Bankole’s formidable presence occasionally more hardcore punk than rapper), hypnotic basslines and unstoppable pop hooks left the feeling of bigger things to come from this band.

Green Door Store, 10 February 2014

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