West London's Lord Apex also makes a homecoming with the downbeat "Clutch," another highlight from "Smoke Sessions Volume 4," the long-awaited conclusion to a genre-spanning series that has subtly reinvented the UK underground rap scene over the course of more than a decade. As ever, Apex shows once again why he's considered one of the most forward-thinking and innovative voices in UK rap right now.
"Clutch" is a work of nuance and technical precision. The song skates along with Apex's signature melodic sensibilities, absorbing production that sounds both familiar and refreshingly unpredictable. His delivery, a mix of easygoing swagger and deft wordplay, shows an artist in command of his own sound. Every line is finely gauged, every pause deliberate, establishing an expectation that draws listeners into his peculiarly atmospheric realm.
It's a song that stands up to careful listening. Apex's facility with rhyme schemes and cadences underscores his unceasing determination to push the borders of what UK rap can sound like. Even by the laid-back, smoky production standards that "Smoke Sessions" fans have come to expect and love, there's an urgency here, a reminder that Apex isn't simply reporting from the scene, he's actively affecting it.
As a closing chapter to "Smoke Sessions," "Clutch" serves as both an observation and a statement of intent. Lord Apex demonstrates once again that he's a master of his craft, able to balance melody, technical ability, and creative storytelling into the type of soundscape you'd assume was created by no other than the artist himself. For listeners seeking a pulse check for UK underground rap, "Clutch" is a momentous track, the kind that proves Apex to be a consistently exciting and influential figure in the scene.