Knowle West Boy

by

Tricky

Edit

His debut 1996 "Maxinquaye" and "Nearly God" spin-off were staggeringly good, but after that Bristol rapper Tricky too often seemed lost in a haze, going from making music which expressed the paranoia and confusion of modern life, to sounding like those sensations were overwhelming him.

"Knowle West Boy" comes as a surprise - the sound is clean, sparse and almost punk at times.

The album is full of autobiographical references, starting with the title, which namechecks the area he grew up in. This could be an effort to remind himself of his roots when he is far from home. Or maybe he is just at that nostalgic age - 40 - when he feels it is time to reclaim the musical influences which shaped him.

The results are mixed, with some trademark Tricky sounds and some less successful forays into newer territory.

There is considerable diversity on "Knowle West Boy", not just in terms of musical style but also in personnel.

Rather than rely on just one female sidekick as he has done in the past, most effectively with Martina Topley-Bird, he has drafted in a number of vocal foils, all of them virtual unknowns.

Though his croaky whispers still put the listener on edge, there's a sweetness and bounce given by unknown female and dancehall vocalists on tracks such as "Bacative".

The familiar claustrophobic feel of his classic "Maxinquaye" creeps in on tracks such as "Joseph" and "Past Mistake", but this is far more varied.

The sentiments are still indistinct and baleful, but they're being delivered with fresh purpose.

There's even a Kylie electrorock makeovercover, "Slow" - and it works.

It doesn't please consistently but has something for everyone.

He may never top "Maxinquaye", but on this evidence at least Tricky is back in the game.

"An album that dazzles and never disappoints. Despite the Tricky Kid's hatred of the limelight, "Knowle West Boy" deserves to be huge." - BBC

"Gone are the dark, monochordal dirges, to be replace by proper, well-structured songs - and a much needed splash on sunlight." - Uncut

If you're a Tricky fan from way back, this record will mostly frustrate you. Not present here is the style that made him famous, which was taking the beats and styles you know and twisting them into something fresh and compelling. Much like his last couple of records, this record largely contains tracks that are a mish-mash of styles attempting to create a new genre that doesn't want to be created. There are a couple of tracks I'd recommend: "Baligaga", "Coalition" and "School Gates" has that "Nearly God" vibe down cold. but most of this record is stuff you can appreciate, but probably don't want to hear a lot of.

If you thought his last couple of records were awesome, you'll really dig this. If you thought he's gone downhill since around his fourth or album, you won't like this one either. For me this was really more like 2.5 stars.