Once upon a time, Hak Baker was a member of the UK grime outfit B.O.M.B squad, but after some time away, he has come back to being a solo artist. His latest release is a great showcase of the undoubted talent he has.

There were a few moments in the first 30 seconds where I was reminded of the time I watched Four Weddings and a Funeral for the first time as a child with my parents. The surprising amount of curses surprised me then in a similar way to Hak Bakers latest release. However, there is certainly a good reason for this in Telephones 4 Eyes! The notion of always being watched, with constant interference in our lives from whoever. People watch us through our internet, our TV and of course our phones, hence telephones’ have eyes! Because this is an emotive topic, there is a real passion to every part of this song, but particularly the lyrics.

During the first verse I was reminded a little of the way Suggs used to power through some of the Madness songs of the 1980s, with his accent coming through so clearly. Hak Baker certainly has that feel, but takes a rap/rock enthused anthem to different places. The chorus is heavy, with a prominent bass pushing the sound and with a full production behind it. For me, what makes this track is the power behind the lyrics, it is the passion you can hear that is ultimately what makes a good song a great song.

Author: Phil Arnold

Phil Arnold is a musician, producer and music reviewer from Devon, in the South West of England. Whilst not writing music reviews, Phil also writes and records under the name of Ugbrooke.