Grime’s power axis tilts northwards on this Manchester MC’s taut, uncompromising breakthrough. Yes, Walk With Me may run to just eight tracks but—in keeping with Malone’s vividly drawn world of well-publicised personal misdemeanours and topical pop culture punchlines—it feels like a compact, urgent snapshot of modern UK hip hop. And from the swaggering shutdown of “Watch Your Mouth” to grief-stricken confessional “Pain”, Malone’s drum-tight flow (“Got more bars than Snickers and Twix”) is a match for the hectic bounce of those icy beats.