Tricky : "Different When it's Silent"

While capturing the dark mood you want from Tricky, this album features singer Mitch Sanders, who opens the album. Sanders employs a light Thom Yorke-like falsetto. This song drones a bit with an organic bass line. They are both from Bristol, but on the second song, there is a more Brit pop feel with rock guitar that crashes in, and some of the moody electronic elements sink to the bottom of the mix. Tricky's trademark low, gravelly whispered croak is layered under Sanders' main vocal. He does step up and take over the mic in a manner that makes this sound more like his album on "Be Still In the Pain". When Run Red Rambo's rap comes, it makes things click into place much better.

 Things get maringally more experimental on "I Tried". It's clear after three songs in that this album is going to be widely different from what we typically expect from him. In reviewing this, I have to put aside the fact that I am a fan of albums like "Post-Millennium Tension" and try to listen to this with fresh ears, not colored by past expectations. There is more of a Brit -pop feel to "So Cold." It begins to feel like they have pushed things a little too far from Sonic's zipcode that Tricky normally resides in with "Paris Maybe".  I don't have a problem with this collaboration; it just sounds more like a Mitch Sanders album than a Tricky album. Aside from the hometown connection,

 I am not sure what drew him to this guy. I think a more intersting album might have been made with a collaboartion with Joji, Chelsea Wolfe, or Xiu Xiu."Cannon Fodder" is almost too abstract and vocal-centered."Because I Don't Know" at least has his vocal sitting in a more appropriate place, even with the weird synth groove. "Marinade" at least has Tricky's voice coming to the forefront. Musically, it has more in common with the Beatles. "Radana" features the rapper of the same name, which feels more like a Tricky song, and Sanders' voice works well in the hook. "Piano" feels like a James Blake ballad of sorts. "Frontier Town" sounds like it's from a movie soundtrack. They strip things down to an acoustic guitar for 'Hengrove Blues," which works well enough for what it is. Good songs are good songs even if this is a wild left turn, so I will give it a 9; it's just not the album I was expecting.

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Tricky : "Fall to Pieces"

Off all the 90s sub genre trip hop has not made a comeback ike say shoe gazre. Next to Massive Attack , Tricky was the most important figure in that genre. "Pre Milenium Tension" is always going to be the album I weigh his work against, which is not that high of a bar as he has proven himself capabe of bringing sounds that go far beyond what he did there on many albums since., singer Marta invokes a simiar feeling that singer  his original singer Martine Topley-Bird had. I was much clearer on how I felt about the opener "Thinking Of" and " which "Close Now" was sandwhiched between. It grew on me by the second listen. The more upbeat "I'm In the Doorway" does show case singer Marta's voice in the clearest sense, but Tricky is not about writing conventional pop songs and the mix on the song sound a little optimistic. This album was supposed to be inspired by the death of his daughter so I am hoping for something really dark. It is no where as near as dark as " Post Millenium Tension".  That darkness does not come until " Hate this Pain" . His voice utters the lyrics with more of that pain I want to hear from him. He might be british but this song sounds like it was born in New Orleans.

"Chills Me to the Bone" runs off a reliable groove that drives the song in the right direction. Their is more of a house bounce to "Fall Please". without the kind of groove he is known for the song doesn't feel as focused. When he goes into the kind of melodic and organic drone of " Take Me Shopping" it works more to his advantage. The song itself reminds me a little of  Lucious Jackson. They go into more of a down tempo pulse with "Like a Stone". The meody is more understated with this one. The vocals here feel more like what we have heard Matrine Topley Bird do in the past so this new girl from Poland is filing her shoes nicely. "Throws Me Around" goes for a similar vibe but it is lost in it's own atmosphere.

There is a gloomier vinbe to "Vietnam" which closes the album. It however never finds it's groove and just drones on with the drudgery. The albums gets murky and runs out of gas in the final moments , but does succeed as a whole and stands up[ reasonaby well against the bulk of his work. The production is a litte brighter than I might have preferred these sound to be presented, but the songs themselves are solid , not sure how much play time this will get , but I wil give it a 9, as I think that is where is would fall with fans who still carry his torch.



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