''Signs of a Struggle'' is the
debut album by English recording duo
Mattafix
Mattafix were an English electronic music duo, consisting of vocalist Marlon Roudette and producer and keyboardist Preetesh Hirji. Their sound was a fusion of hip hop, R&B, reggae, dancehall, blues, jazz, soul and world. Known for their 2005 h ...
, released on 31 October 2005 throughout Europe. The duo stated that the album is a reflection of the experiences and hardships they have gone through.
Reception
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
writer Alexey Eremenko gave the album four-and-a-half stars out of five, praising the originality and variety of styles by saying: "The debut album by Mattafix is a pleasantly tantalizing experience of guessing the sound and never being quite there -- because Mattafix has taken the old elements and made them into something new, or at least untried before."
However, Dorian Lynskey of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' gave the album two stars out of five, criticising the lyrical themes which blamed different people, saying: "The bellyflop performed by
Ms Dynamite
Naomi Arleen McLean-Daley (born 26 April 1981), better known as Ms. Dynamite, is a British singer and rapper. She is the recipient of the Mercury Music Prize, two Brit Awards and three MOBO Awards.
Early years
She was born Naomi Arleen M ...
's second album suggests that the British public have scant tolerance for the sound of fingers being wagged in their faces. This is bad news for London-based duo Mattafix, whose debut consists of little else."
Track listings
# "Gangster Blues"
(Marlon Roudette
Marlon Roudette (born 5 January 1982) is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the former front man for the duo Mattafix who had their first number 1, "Big City Life", in 2006. After the group split, Roudette embarked on a s ...
) – 4:19
# "
Big City Life
"Big City Life" is a song by English electronic music duo Mattafix. With a chorus sung in Jamaican Patois, "Big City Life" was released in August 2005 as the second single from Mattafix's debut album, '' Signs of a Struggle'' (2005). The single ...
"
(Marlon Roudette/Preetesh Hirji
Mattafix were an English electronic music duo, consisting of vocalist Marlon Roudette and producer and keyboardist Preetesh Hirji. Their sound was a fusion of hip hop, R&B, reggae, dancehall, blues, jazz, soul and world. Known for their 2005 h ...
) – 4:00
# "
Passer By"
(Marlon Roudette/Ross Godfrey/Chris Harrison) – 3:33
# "
To & Fro"
(Marlon Roudette/Preetesh Hirji) – 4:04
# "Everyone Around You"
(Marlon Roudette/Preetesh Hirji) – 4:58
# "Clear and Present Danger"
(Marlon Roudette/Preetesh Hirji) – 4:20
# "Older"
(Marlon Roudette) – 2:49
# "I to You"
(Marlon Roudette/Phil Thornalley
Phillip Carden Thornalley (born 5 January 1960) is an English songwriter, musician, and producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He produced the album ''Pornography'' by The Cure and was later their bass player. He began releas ...
) – 4:21
# "Impartial"
(Marlon Roudette/Preetesh Hirji) – 3:55
# "The Means"
(Marlon Roudette/Preetesh Hirji) – 4:09
# "11:30 (Dirtiest Trick in Town)"
(Marlon Roudette/Oshik Levy/Neil Pearson) – 3:28
# "The Forgotten"
(Marlon Roudette/Ross Godfrey/Chris Harrison) – 3:52
# "555"
(Marlon Roudette/Preetesh Hirji) – 6:33
# "
Cool Down the Pace"
(Gregory Isaacs/Sylvester Weise) – 7:02
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
{{Authority control
Mattafix albums
2005 debut albums