Rusko: Songs – review

Leeds-born DJ/producer Rusko has a scattershot approach to contemporary dance music. On his 2010 debut album, OMG!, his artillery included reggae, drum'n'bass, house and dubstep, in the form of big, attention-seeking basslines, but he only sporadically hit the target ("Woo Boost" was a thrilling exception). His focus is more squarely on Jamaican sounds second time round, but although Songs feels consistently summery, it lacks coherence: the diverse elements don't completely gel. Straightforward dub-reggae numbers such as "Love No More" are pleasant enough, but when the bassline drops on "Skanker" it sounds more incongruous than thrilling.