Plan B, Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose (Atlantic) ****

MOVIE star, director, producer, rapper, sharp-suited soul boy and social commentator, in many ways Ben Drew, alias Plan B, is the very measure of a 21st Century Renaissance Man.

However, after a flurry of hit movies such as Adulthood, Harry Brown, 4.3.2.1, Turnout, The Sweeney and, most memorably, Ill Manors, and winning the Brit Award for Best Male at the 2011 Brit Awards on the strength of The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, all has been quiet on the Plan B front since 2012. A new single, In The Name Of Man, surfaced last May, and a one-off London gig last summer ignited interest that a new album was on the way. And then the wait.

A year later, and it is notable that In The Name Of Man has not been included on the fourth album, indicating either trouble at t’mill, or Mr Drew is entering a new purple patch. I would prefer to opt for the second option. Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Out is again a huge musical change in direction. Completely scrapping hardcore rap, the album is a homage to more traditional soul and blues, albeit with an earthy sweaty flavour. Imagine a grittier version of John Newman, an impassioned version of Andrew Roachford and a more melodic Terrence Trent D’Arby, and you are close to the mark.

Of course, Drew adds his trademark angst-soaked delivery to his sharply informed lyrics, so this is an important new release. Standouts include the lead single Heartbeat, the ska-influenced Wait So Long and the dramatic It’s A War. Two new movies are also in preparation, namely Catch Me Daddy and The Devil’s Dandruff, so it does appear that Plan B is back in the driving seat.

Ian Sime