Tricky: Knowle West Boy
Friday, 04 Jul 2008 10:58
The Knowle West Boy returns after five years
Domino, July 7th.
In a nutshell...
Knowle West Boy done good
What's it all about?
Knowle West Boy is the first solo album in five years from home-grown talent Tricky. Marking a move back to the fail-safe subject matter of growing up in the "white trash ghetto" of Bristol's Knowle West, Tricky takes listeners on a drive-by ride through world he once knew.
The star now lives across the pond, but is still keen to reference the experiences that shaped his upbringing – and ultimately – his music.
Who's it by
Tricky is arguably the founding father of all things trip-hop; a pioneer of that wonderful genre known as British Urban music, he grew out of Bristol alongside fellow pioneers Massive Attack in the early 1990s. Tricky Kid – born Adrian Thaws – appeared on Massive Attack's debut album Blue Lines and the follow up Protection before branching out on his own and releasing the seminal Maxinquaye in 1995.
The critically-acclaimed debut was followed a year later by the equally well-received Nearly God and later Pre-Millennium Tensions, but by the time the Trickster's sixth solo album Vulnerable hit the shops in 2003 listeners dispersed.
Notoriously critical of the press and keen to bustle away in the background, Tricky has worked with a series of other artists over the past few years. From his early days with Massive Attack, he's collaborated with everyone from Bjork to PJ Harvey to Elvis Costello to Alison Goldfrapp.
As an example...
"They want to see me cry, I would rather fly/I'm swimming in my grease, angel touched my face, she leads me by the hand to castels in the sand/Suffocate from concrete, she I like to meet/I have to leap to look/I had to take, I took." – Joseph
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Critics are already frothing at the mouth over the relevance of Knowle West Boy and with the recent comeback of Massive Attack, Tricky could be line for a second day in the sun. A tour would boost his chances of gaining the attention of a new generation.
What the others say
"An album that dazzles and never disappoints. Despite the Tricky Kid's hatred of the limelight, Knowle West Boy deserver 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
So is it any good?
Yes, yes, yes. Throughout Knowle West Boy, Tricky proves his place in the UK music hall of fame. It's a reminder that there's more we Brits are capable of than gangly boys in skinny jeans with too much hair.
After the disappointment of Vulnerable, this is an amazingly fine return to form. Granted Tricky keeps it safe with a veritable harem of female vocalists – let's not forget he's the man who brought Martina Topley-Bird into the limelight – but this is an area he's always excelled in.
Stand out tracks include the current single Council Estate, the opener Puppy Boy - with its sardonic female vocals, jazz lounge piano and guitar riffs - and the ethereal Cross to Bear.
Music snobs may baulk at Tricky and his "urban" tag, but the man himself transcends genres and refuses to be pinned down, as evident on Cross to Bear. That infamous half-whisper Tricky rap floats over violin strings and melodic Asian instruments as a very Alison Goldfrapp-esque lady leads the way.
The haunting Joseph, the guitar-heavy Slow, the decidedly electro Veronika and the reggae Baligaga show just how diverse Tricky is – and the brilliance he is capable.
Knowle West Boy recaptures the raw energy of Tricky's early work and takes on board everything he's picked up over the past decade. No musical stone is left unturned and this is probably the man's best work – that's right, even better than Maxinquaye. Strong words.
9/10
Rebecca Amir
Agree with this review? Have a different opinion? Let us know your thoughts (without being too abusive to our poor reviewers please) and we'll post the best ones on the site.
Write your comments below: