Album Review: It's Niko B's 'dog eat dog food world', We're Just Living In It

Niko B’s ascension in the worlds of music and popular culture has been far from the average. First catching attention for his hit-singles, ‘Mary Berry’ and ‘Who’s That What’s That’, the Milton-Keynesian native has clearly been working on his craft in the time since. The culmination of this development is his debut album, ‘dog eat dog food world’.

Far from the average would also be an apt description to Niko’s, a.k.a Tom Austin’s, approach to genre, with his debut full length offering spanning Rap, Alt-R&B, Lofi-House and Jersey Club. The project also contains an Indie sensibility which permeates throughout, in sonics and in visuals. The album’s opener, and lead single, ‘trespass coat’, leans into the Indie sound, particularly due to the excellent contribution from dexter in the newsagent. He sets himself apart by using instrumentals almost entirely from rising YouTube bedroom beatmakers. All of this makes for a particularly interesting listen, with his experimentation proving hugely refreshing. 

‘i’ve smoked weed 9 times and have had one good experience’, as the title suggests, offers some tongue-in-cheek lyricism, largely about ashtrays with the dimensions of big vehicles. This unique brand of unserious braggadocio is a recurring theme throughout the project. If considering the self-aggrandising lyrics seen from many rappers, Niko’s lyrics are the antithesis. Through his unseriousness, he actually reaches a place of sincerity, resulting in him coming across as totally genuine. It is this quality that might be the most engaging about ‘dog eat dog food world’, and Niko B’s style as a whole.

‘tom did’ and ‘miniclip’ are prime examples of this approach. KIRBS’ contribution is an indication of the high regard Niko B is held in by his contemporaries, with Kwollem’s production on the song another signifier. ‘it’s not litter if you bin it’ highlights Niko’s song-writing capability. The softly sung chorus could well be his best to date, possessing catchiness and musicality in exquisite balance. ‘i’m just a pretty face’ sees a dalliance into the Jersey Club sound that is well-suited to the wordsmith’s bouncy flows. 

As the second half progresses, we see a continuation of the sounds and topics first introduced. ‘what counts as fine?’ gives us some Lofi-House grooves, one of the first styles Niko adopted in his musical journey. ‘whos in designer’, the project’s closer, is undoubtedly a highlight. The chorus is ethereal and satisfying, with credit due for Niko’s singing performance. 

It would be great to see Niko B continue his experimentation, particularly when it comes to his vocals. He clearly has talent with his vocal range and to see him embrace that more boldly would produce some fantastic results. It seems this will come with time, as Niko is still towards the start of his musical journey. His absurdist wit and introspective observations, combined with varied production choices, have created a hugely enjoyable debut album. From ‘dog eat dog food world’ we not only get exquisite music, but also an indication of how much more of it there is to come.