Dave - The Boy Who Played The Harp

“This is God’s plan,” begins Dave on ‘History’ – a plan he’s in the process of making happen. He’s got a strong case, too. At 27, with three critically acclaimed LPs under his belt, it feels like the world is running out of superlatives with which to describe him. What more can you say about arguably the UK’s leading rapper? It’s been four years since 2021’s ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’, but Dave hasn’t been totally quiet since then, with standalone Central Cee collab single ‘Sprinter’ becoming a massive global hit in 2023. But it’s been long enough that it’s difficult not to savour every second of ‘The Boy Who Played the Harp’.

Across its ten tracks, Dave is found in an equally introspective and outward-looking mood, with faith also playing a major part in his narrative. ‘175 Months’, named for the length of time his brother has been in prison, is a confession, while on ‘My 27th Birthday’, he questions whether he should speak out about the world’s ills while also enjoying the luxuries that come with stardom. But he’s perhaps at his best here when he has company. James Blake’s presence is a strong one, while Jim Legxacy is a dream on ‘No Weapons’, and Tems brings a lighter tone to the flirtatious ‘Raindance’. The album’s crowning moment, meanwhile, comes with the Kano-featuring ‘Chapter 16’. Alluding to the biblical story of Samuel anointing David as king, it plays out as a conversation over dinner in which Dave gives Kano his flowers and the grime grandee responds in kind. It’s deserved. It all goes to confirm that Dave has grown from hot young talent to a true master storyteller.