Slime and Reason presents an altogether more cheery Rodney Smith to the troubled soul we met on 2005's Awfully Deep , a record that found its creator battling depression and fighting demons from the psychiatrist's chair. Indeed, lead-off single "Buff Nuff" is possibly Roots Manuva's plain silliest track to date, a wobbly dancehall number produced by Sheffield newcomer Toddla T. Elsewhere on Slime and Reason , though, we find Roots Manuva seeking a happy mid-point between gloom and frivolity, musing on life and love with his unique philosophy of world-wearied wisdom, fire-and-brimstone religion, and sly British humour. "Again and Again" is one of Roots' finest tracks to date, a bumping British digi-reggae cut featuring a cameo from Ricky Ranking. "Let the Spirit Move You", produced by Metronomy's Joseph Mount, is balmy electro-pop in a minor key. And "It's Me Oh Lord" finds Smith revisting his past as the child of a Pentecostal preacher, a chilly gospel number swathed in thick, gloopy synthesiser, heavy with spiritual musings. Slime and Reason might be diverse in tone, but it's the sort of record that allows a talent like Smith to show off his range, and on this evidence, there's few who can touch him. ––Louis Pattison
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