Cambridge-born multi-genre rapper Verbivore returns with a new single that crackles with both energy and atmosphere. “Why So Serious?” It's a sprightly, lyrical house workout that is both fun and brooding, encapsulating the peaks and troughs of U.K. rave life in not much more than three minutes of infectious noise.
It bounces with an infectious house groove from the first beat, but there is a gritty, almost narrative edge to the lyrics, and Verbivore spits bars describing his own experiences on the rave scene, both as an artist and a dancer. A witty mixture of vocal house rap and drill-adjacent elements, the track has an urban authenticity that keeps you second-guessing what on earth you’ve listened to. The production has an immediacy to it, as if each percussion hit and synth stab were plucked directly from a packed Cambridge warehouse party.
What really shines, though, is how Verbivore continually overlaps genres without veering into a clashing sound. Having cut his teeth as a Drum and Bass head during lockdown, and it shows, he’s quite clearly broadened his horizons musically, and the rhythmic precision he brings to house feels both comfortingly familiar and excitingly fresh. Riding the rubbery groove with aplomb, the vocal delivery shifts between playful lines and more introspective moments, like catching a snapshot of the UK rave scene at its most mercurial.
“Why So Serious?” Verbivore captures the feeling of lived experience without ever coming off as overstuffed. The storytelling elements virtually hinting at the underground of raving leave it with well more than the average amount of depth of its contemporaries, though. It’s music that isn’t merely made to be heard but also felt. It pulsates with all the sweat, adrenaline, and camaraderie of nights caught up in pulsing lights and a relentless beat.