As a resident of Norwich, I am fully aware that the Fine City has an (unfair) reputation amongst its bigger, flashier siblings as being a bit slow and backward. Other cities tend to sneer at little old Norwich and its rural history. They laugh and point towards that jutty out bit of England that is kind of just there, believing all Norwich folk to be bumbling idiots.
Look beyond the lazy stereotypes though and you will find a city rich in innovation, creativity and multimedia development. You will also find a city with a vibrant, diverse and extremely talented music scene.
I’ve covered plenty of local acts over the years but I can honestly say, they just keep getting better.
Three examples spring immediately to mind to support that claim.
Let’s Eat Grandma (first featured here in 2014) have recently won massive critical acclaim across the globe for their debut album, I, Gemini, so much so that award nominations can’t be far away. Mullally, who I featured last week, has already been nominated for numerous awards in the last few weeks and his last two tracks have been streamed over a million times each on Spotify, and he’s still unsigned (somehow).
Thirdly, and possibly most excitingly, is Maya Law whose work with up-and-coming electro-hop producer Gabriel Gifford, aka Allergy Kid, is not only brilliant, but also remarkably heartfelt and open. After the success of their first track together, ”Safe & Sound”, the duo’s plans to release an EP have swollen to a full album and the third track from it is the deeply emotive “Take It From Me”.
Dealing with the complexities and anguish of sexual anxiety, Law’s lyrics are raw and startlingly honest. She looks at her own life and experiences with a clarity and awareness that is often absent in her peers. At just 17 she already possesses a heaviness and almost world weariness in her vocal that conveys the emotion and tumultuousness of her life. Here she is showcasing biting self criticism and a wonderful soulful vocal that is beautifully evocative of her twin idols, Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill.
Beneath it all are Allergy Kid’s softly compulsive beats and deft production, providing the perfect metronomic counterbalance to the lyrical upheaval. The pair have an almost symbiotic musical connection, his light electronics and rhythms wonderfully juxtaposed with her rich, warm voice.
It is another strong step forward in what should be a long and successful career for both artists, and is further proof that despite all the big city prejudice, Norwich is so much more than that little city out in the sticks.
The Maya Law & Allergy Kid album, ‘Her or Him’, is due out on 14 October and can be pre-ordered here.
Stalk Maya Law: Twitter
Stalk Allergy Kid: Website
Alphabet Bands 
Very good, well written piece