Dancehall star Moses 'Beenie Man' Davis has been in the wars recently, forced to cancel several British gigs after complaints about his anti-gay lyrics. Thankfully, there's none of that stuff on his new album - the only problem is, a host of songs about how much he loves bonking his brains out doesn't represent much of an improvement. As the title suggests, Back To Basics is a return to his Jamaican roots, featuring military rhythms, cheap synthesisers and half-spoken, half-sung vocals. Some of it is undeniably entertaining, particularly the opening duet with Ms Thing that should put a smile on your face straight away. But for the most part it's cringe-inducing stuff, with the best fun coming from how many nicknames you can spot for Beenie Man's genitals (Stiffy, Fishing Line and Big Water Pipe are just a few of the most charming). It's impossible to recommend this album, but that's got nothing to do with Beenie Man's homophobia. It's because it isn't very good.
