Theophilus London makes no bones about pitching for the indie crowd.

Breakthrough tape This Charming Mixtape took its sonic inspiration from post-punk, its visual cues from Elvis Costello. On last year’s Lovers Holiday, his supporting cast – Tegan and Sara, Dave Sitek, Glasser, Solange Knowles – was almost painfully hip. For the upcoming Lover’s Holiday 2: Rose Island, London continues to carve along the zeitgeist, enlisting buzzy New Yorker A$AP Rocky for a mercenary new cut.

‘Big Spender’ isn’t the most sophisticated thing either rapper has done by any means. Over a mangled Shirley Bassey sample, the pair crank up the bragaddacio. London, truth be told, is something of a cipher; he pitches for proficiency, but doesn’t bother to stretch himself much further. Rocky, by contrast, is much more spirited. His twangy, sing-song flow can save a cheap beat: DJ Carnage’s clunky instrumental benefits no end from Rocky’s presence.

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