D-Block Europe - The Blueprint – Us vs Them review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

The Guardian 40

(Self-released)
Against ghostly production, the duo rearrange the same lyrical tropes like fridge magnets – the flashes of wit and energy are too rare

Last year, Young Adz, one half of D-Block Europe, claimed that the Lewisham duo had amassed a cache of 700 unreleased tracks. On the face of it, that sounds like the kind of expansive myth-building you too might indulge in had you just sold out two nights at London’s 10,000-capacity Alexandra Palace. But then you look at the duo’s release schedule and think: well, maybe they have. The Blueprint – Us vs Them is heralded as D-Block Europe’s debut album but it’s their fourth full-length in 12 months. At 29 tracks and 93 minutes, it’s their longest yet, but only just: 2019’s mixtape PTSD also featured 29 tracks, but clocked in at a more economical 88 minutes. You could never accuse Young Adz and partner Dirtbike LB of lacking a work ethic.

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