I might be a little late on this one, but "The Lost Boys" by Shakka (released Nov. 6, 2015) is straight *insert [fire] emoji here.* I've always been a fan of Say Nada, which he performed at last year's MOBO Awards, where he also won Best R&B/Soul Act, however, what really caught my attention and made me listen to the rest of his EP, was his latest release You Don't Know What You Do To Me, which I found in the Spotify New Releases section (honestly the best way to find new music).

First impressions? It's a conceptual EP, with a skit at the end of each track, set in dystopian London, with no music, no dreams and no... girls; basically a ban on any form of self-expression. Okay, it takes a few listens to get your head around the entire plot, but you realise the 'concept' is less of a cheap gimmick (a-la-Kanye-College-Dropout) but actually enhances the aim of the album - to celebrate of youth and individuality. A genius skit-to-track transition is between YDKWYDTM and Pain where Shakka acknowledges the amount of 'grey suits' walking the pavements, with the first line of Pain being 'promise me you won't turn out like them, promise me you'll be yourself'.

A mixture of cheeky lyrics — my personal favorite being 'bad at one-liners but I'm damn good at shuffling, trust it's better if we dance; if we talk, I'll be rambling' - and subtle, yet essential, tributes to his Dominican heritage through insanely good bass lines and smooth vocals with a dash of West Indies undertones, which you can hear best on "The Jungle."

However, it's hard to forget Shakka is true Londoner. Staying true to his urban upbringing, grime-infused tracks, like Intro, which for an intro track, is definitely strong enough to stand alone, fill the EP. He also has help from fellow Londoners like Chip (formerly known as Chipmunk - yes, I'm glad he changed his name too) on "YDKWYDTM" and Wretch 32 on "Heart Don't Lie."

What I love most abut the album is that each song seems to tell a story. For example, in Say Nada you're suddenly at a house party with Shakka and a group of his friends, as they try and play wingman for one another. Yes, you can roll your eyes at this, but the humour and reliability in his story-lines is what draws you in. This, along with the concept story line, keeps you hooked for all 34 minutes — start to finish.

NB: Perfect thing to time yourself to, while you get ready in the morning.

Key tracks: "YDKWYDTM," "The Jungle," "Say Nada."