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While Duppy Writer is sufficiently bubbling to temporarily sate cravings, there's still scarcely enough nourishment until a new album proper.
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These words have lost none of their clout and, in fact, Tom's reworking of the sounds that surround them only serve to underscore just how powerful they can be.
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This record presents some high quality versioning, some well thought-out interpretations of already excellent songs, that can act as standalone cuts and can enrich the originals. Duppy Writer adds something to Manuva's oeuvre that highlights his experience as artist, and his constantly open mind.
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The result is a charming beast--and, perversely, a near-original remix album.
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Duppy Writer ably serves either of two purposes, an alternate career retrospective or a remix record of taste and distinction.
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Q MagazineThe result is the album Roots Manuva has always threatened to make; approachable yet with real substance. [Oct. 2010, p. 113]
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MojoBut from the off, the sounds here always convince. [Oct 2010, p.96]
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If your interest in Jamaican music is limited, then Duppy Writer will probably be of even less concern to you than the usual Roots Manuva album. But you also shouldn't dismiss an album this end-to-end pleasurable as some dry retro curio.
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Shorn of its usual grime trappings, Manuva's deep, gruff lyricism sounds playfully inspired on catalog highlights like "Proper Tings Juggled."
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UncutThe result is Roots Manuva's most purely pleasurable long-player. [Oct 2010, p.105]
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It's all rather one-paced and sags badly after tenth track 'Lick Up Ya Foot' but, by crikey, the likes of 'Big Tings Redone' and 'Dutty Rut' provide the perfect soundtrack for out-on-the-stoop sunshine boozing.
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Whilst Duppy Writer is an engaging and mostly enjoyable album, it also sometimes feels slightly lightweight, or intentionally minimal and immediate.