Tinchy Stryder ft. Melanie Fiona: 'Let It Rain'

Poor old Tinchy. With his last two singles stalling outside the top 20, his Third Strike album yet to threaten the top 40, and the Brits panel conveniently forgetting that he exists, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that pretty much every clap of his grime-pop crossover thunder has been stolen by another fashion-conscious MC from our fair capital whose semi-comic nom de plume begins with "T".

This latest album spin-off is unlikely to help him grab it back. Stryder's made-it-through-against-the-odds rhymes are as earnest as ever, and Canadian soul belter Melanie Fiona turns in a fairly mighty vocal performance, but, as midtempo electro-R&B tunes go, 'Let It Rain' is a bit like a family saloon that's due its MOT: perfectly serviceable but not terribly exciting. Not half as exciting, it has be said, as a similarly-themed recent effort from a certain Mr Tin...


> Click here to watch the 'Let It Rain' video