...Kevin Mark Trail
Trail and error: He may not, as he admits, have the bling of the American r 'n' b pack, but Kevin Mark Trail has his own flag, so you better take this UK urban soul warrior seriously. Trail's flag looks like an amalgam of a Union Jack (he's from Wembley), the Jamaican flag (his roots are reggae) and the ANC flag (his soul is with the oppressed everywhere). And, just in case you don't get the message, he's also got his own musical coat of arms, complete with regal-looking guitar neck. But will the world recognise the newest soul boy on the UK r 'n' b block, and will they listen to his softly-sung take on everyday life? We'll find out when Trail's debut album, Just Living, hits the streets on March 4th. Currently, the Britsoul bunch are having their asses kicked by the Americans, but Kevin Mark Trail could just be the one to push things forward.
Trail behind: You might recognise Trail's smooth, soulful, reggae-tinged tones - he was the voice on The Streets' Let's Push Things Forward and Same Old Show, from their seminal Original Pirate Material album. Trail accompanied the laddish laureate on tour, but didn't contribute to The Streets' second album, A Grand Don't Come For Free, because he was too busy working on his own debut album. Great things were expected from last year's single, Perspective, but it's the current tune off the album, D Thames, which might just bring the flow. Written during a reflective moment on a bridge over the eponymous river, D Thames captures the man's mix of smooth soul, edgy urban beats and Jamaican reggae touches. Another song, Bread, tackles the hard-knock life of a young Brit "bwoy" earning peanuts but searching for diamonds in the dust. "It's about trying to better yourself as a person, trying to achieve and give back."
Trail mix: In his own life, Trail has found plenty of inspiration for his gritty-yet-gentle lyrics. "It's all the stuff I experienced, just an album about life. I just write about what's going on around me." At 15, he bought an Atari, and started stitching sounds together using a Cubase program. But, while he eagerly absorbed the influences of American, African and Jamaican sounds, Trail wanted to craft a uniquely British soul sound. "Britain has so many different cultures, and is so diverse. We're lucky being influenced by so many different things."
Trail finders: Skinner's not the only one to borrow Trail's talents: Nitin Sawhney talked the young tyro into collaborating on his album, Human. With such an impeccable musical pedigree, Kevin should have no problem getting the plaudits for his own album - but will he get the success that many feel he rightly deserves? "You're always facing new things and rising to the challenge, so it's a constant battle," he says. "You've got to keep moving and stay positive."
