Future Utopia

★★★ 12 Questions PLATOON/70 HZ. CD/DL/LP Producer/songwriter Fraser T Smith’s epic response to some major questions. For this ambitious record, Fraser T Smith (Stormzy, Dave) invited collaborators to respond to questions on everything from faith and freedom to race and ecology. The result is a moving symphony of styles and voices, with stand-out track What’s The Cost Of Freedom? featuring Kano’s taut verses intertwined with elegiac jazz-soul sax and former Black Panther Albert Woodfox’s quiet dissection of what it means to be free. There’s also a redefinition of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s 1966 classic Summer In The City, featuring Tom Grennan and new UK rapper Tia Carys. However, with 22 featured artists including Stormzy, Dave, Bastille, electro- pop singer Ruelle and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, the LP is a little crammed. Spread across two albums, this ambitious project would have had more room to breathe.