Latest CD releases reviewed

RONI SIZE

Return to V Full Cycle

When Roni Size won the Mercury Music Prize in 1997 for New Forms, many predicted that a drum & bass revolution was around the corner. Said insurrection never occurred and, like most Mercury prize-winners, Size subsequently abandoned the limelight. While highly prolific, his many productions, collaborations and releases have never quite troubled the headlines. Return to V may change this, with its rich, soulful, shapeshifting collection of collaborations with the likes of Rahzel, Jocelyn Browne, Sweetie Irie, Rodney P, Beverley Knight and many Bristol cronies. There's old-school house glee (Sing), dirty dancehall mannerism (Rise Up), low-slung hip-hop (Time) and, of course, some premier league bangers such as Out of Breath and the rollicking No More with Beverley Knight and MC Dynamite hitting the high notes over a whiplash melody. Size, it seems, does matter after all. www.fullcycle.co.uk