Drums thud, horns soar, and the samples are far out. Hip Hop group Ugly Duckling’s fourth studio album, Audacity once again shows that old school can still kick it with the young folks.

So some of the samples border on kitsch, the lyrics are often funny, and vocals often hit baritones and falsettos that are a step beyond standard fare. There is a danger of Audacity becoming novelty, but it never does. It stays interesting and entertaining. It’s uplifting, tongue in cheek, and it takes the piss out of those hardcore gangstarseholes that think their lives are really dangerous and ghetto even though they live in LA mansions with eight incarnations of The Incredible Hulk as bodyguards. Ugly Duckling rhyme about stuff that means something to them, without fakery.

There aren’t any real lowlights on this album. Pay Or Quit is a bit naff, but that’s as close as you’d get to a skip-worthy track. The rest of it is upbeat, energetic and super funky. I Won’t Let It Die kicks off the celebration with some vintage Ugly Duckling horns, which might find a few more fans now after Mark Ronson’s album took the same sounds up the charts. Einstein Do It (Night On Scratch Mountain) is an epic scratch showcase of Young Einstein’s talent. It’s also master of the build-up. The Lonely Ones gets a bit creepy on ya; Howling backing vocals sound like something from an old black and white monster movie, and it’s a more sombre and reflective song.

Something about the Native Tongues borne style of Hip Hop is really dated, but it still never gets old. Wit and happiness will never date, and that’s why Ugly Duckling and others can release an album like this, and it still speaks to people. I guess it depends what you’re after, but if you’re after a good time and some musically delivered happiness, then Audacity is the one for you.
3.5/5

You can listen to some tracks on Ugly Duckling’s website, or grab it from your local record store from August 14.