After his imposing 2006 debut, you’d imagine Delta would have a hard time topping The Lostralian – but with The Second Story he just might have. Three years on from The Lostralian, Delta unleashes a stronger, more deliberate and politically-charged rhetoric on your ear drums. Still prevalent on The Second Story is the artist’s commitment to the culture he exists in. Similarly, Delta doesn’t shy from a bit of name-dropping from NYC to London, in order to claim some authority in the genre while still staying true to the A.U.S. The dream production team from The Lostralian is back with UK’s Mark B and Delta making the majority of beats with help from compatriots Prowla, M-Phazes and DJ Staen 1. Also, collaborations with NY’s legendary Dap-Kings, Mojo & Rheturik from the live hip-hop band Dujeous, Milano (DITC), Psycho Les (Beatnuts), and Jigsaw the Puzzler give the album considerable depth.

As soon as you hear the funky sound of trumpets and his signature sharp lyrical style on the opening track, you know Delta is back and is fired up to tell it how he sees it. The lead single ‘The Lines,’ a sneaky song about those cheating ladies, features good mate Mojo the Cinenmatic and the renowned funk musicians Dave Guy and Tommy Brenneck of the Dap Kings and showcases Delta’s ability to effortlessly transgress the boundaries between gritty underground rap and a more commercial sound.

The Second Story is full of high points. ‘All Over’ typifies the new sound of the album with ‘fly’ cow bells and a sophisticated combination of beats and lyricism which make the very complex sound seem effortless. Delta doesn’t shy away from popping in something from the rhyme book either with the mini-track, ‘The Death Song’ standing out as one of the album’s most poignant; a tale of a conversation with a taxi driver and the frailty of life. However, the last track ‘Prime Minister’ is undoubtedly the album’s anthem, laying down truthful rhymes that will open your eyes to the forgotten problems in society while taking shots at K Rudd and the Australian government.

No matter what Delta is schooling us on, his battling style of rhyme makes you want to listen to his elevated thought. If you’ve never heard of Delta before then WAKE UP and listen to the sound of Adelaide’s own rap Prime Minister breaking down the fact from fiction. Definitely don’t let The Second Story go over your head.

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-hy6ZyVpL5o&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-hy6ZyVpL5o&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>