Everybody loves Dave, except, it would seem, the man himself. Despite the success and the fame, he is still fully involved in the psychodrama of being Dave.

At 27 years old Dave has already won The Mercury Music Prize, an Ivor Novello, a MOBO and three Brit Awards. A fiercely cerebral rapper who was going to study law at De Montfort University until his music career blew up very early on. Dave is no stranger to anguish and trauma though; his father was deported back to Nigeria when he was a few months old. His Mum went on the run for several months without Dave, fearing deportation as well. Both his older brothers have served jail time (the middle of the three brothers is still in prison for murder). You can see his fascination with law and morality as a reaction to everything that was going on in London around him and his family as he grew up. Morality and trying to do the right thing continue to take centre stage on The Boy Who Played The Harp.

Musically and lyrically Dave is something of an oddity in terms of the amount of success he has achieved. With the exception of Loyle Carner, few UK rap artists can hold a candle to the intelligence, compassion and understanding he demonstrates. His breakthrough hit ‘Thiago Silva’ with AJ Tracey captured the imagination of a generation of football fans and showed his commercial touch, much that has followed has swerved this approach though. Could any other UK rapper have released a track called ‘Question Time’? It addresses Theresa May, David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn directly. He does also have the most successful hip-hop/rap single in UK chart history to his name, the collaboration with Central Cee ‘Sprinter’ spending ten weeks at number one. His albums are something else though. 2019 debut ‘Psychodrama’ is exactly what it says on the tin. An individual at war with his own psyche, in the process of therapy to deal with the wide range of traumas he had experienced. We’re All Alone In This Together continues that feeling of being slightly isolated from the wider scene he is a part of.

The Boy Who Played The Harp finds Dave still reflecting on his actions and looking for peace. ‘Both Sides Of A smile’ from his previous album is very much a template for this album. James Blake produces four of the tracks bringing his trademark feel and vocals. Jo Caleb produces most of the rest, a UK guitarist and producer who has worked with everyone from Craig David to Beyonce.

There are no bangers here. This is slow, introspective, at times soothing. It is mostly led by piano and keys, reflecting it being the instrument that Dave can himself play and also the influence of James Blake. The musician and producer can be firmly felt on the first track ‘History,’ a glorious opener. ‘175 Months’ is a full-on battle between his religion, faith and morality and all the distractions that get in the way of that.

‘Chapter 16’ frames itself as a dinner between Dave and Kano, where the older rapper proffers advice and comments on things about Dave he has seen. The guest spots are all well thought out and each brings qualities that fit the mood of the album. ‘Raindance’ has a beautiful chorus and verse courtesy of Tems.

‘Selfish’ is an incredible mental wrangle where Dave second guesses everything about himself. He worries if all the things that make him a talent also make him a failure:

“What if the reason they call me “The Greatest”
Is also the reason that me and you livin’ on different pages?
What if I’m too much?
What if I settled and I didn’t fight?
What if my fear of doin’ it wrong’s the reason I haven’t been doin’ it right?
What if I’m selfish?”

This carries on through ‘My 27th Birthday,’ “Before I find love, I’m just prayin’ I find peace” and thinking about the length of time between albums:

“I know I love music, but I question the rest of myself
Like why don’t you post pictures or why don’t you drop music?
Or why not do somethin’ but sittin’ and stressin’ yourself?”

It leads to him questioning the whole point of rap music:

“We don’t need no commentators, we could leave that to the sports
Just listen to the music, why do you need somebody’s thoughts?
And some of it’s constructive, but most of it is forced”

In an incredible album ‘Fairchild’ still leaps out. A stunning, stunning treatise about why drunk men are such a threat to women distilled through a single tale, someone either real or imagined that Dave uses to demonstrate the reality that far too many women have experienced. It is incredibly powerful. Dave questions his own actions at times considering that “You either part of the solution or part of the problem.”

It all brings us round to ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp,’ another emotive tune powering the backing. Dave considers how he would have handled a number of difficult situations from the past. What is he willing to die for? Interestingly, Paul McCartney is listed as a lyricist on the track, though I have yet to fathom why.

I had no intention of reviewing this one, there are half a dozen albums I was planning on writing up next, but I have just listened to this three times in a row having not heard it in advance of its release and it is undeniably one of the albums of the year. The psychodrama is well considered, many of the questions valid about direction and how we grow into adults and how we consider our own actions. The minimalist backings are beautiful, memorable and often intricate. There are so many crass, horrendous rap albums put out each year that these thoughtful stunning gems need to be savoured when they come along. This is absolutely vital work. Dave has just cemented himself as one of the most important and thoughtful artists we have in the UK right now.