Music Review

04 July 2009 01:31 BST

Stateless: Stateless

!K7 Records, out July 16th.

In a nutshell…

Evocative. Lingering. Tender. Anxious.

What's it all about?

Stateless, present for your delectation, ten tracks that stir soulful vocals, jazz trumpet, strings and piano into a trip-hop cocktail.

Who's it by

Emerging from the stormy Sony/BMG merger, Stateless comprising Chris James, bassist Justin Percival and drummer David Levin, signed to German label !K7.

Energised, the restlessly creative outfit teamed up with producer Jim Abbiss on this self-titled LP, with a tip of the hat to DJ Shadow whose recent album Chris James provided vocals for.

Said James: "There was so much controversy surrounding Shadow's new album that bits of that time were difficult for him. After what we’d been through with Sony, it made me realise it’s always a bumpy ride if you try to create music that’s challenging and different."

As an example…

"I gotta get outside/Breathe again," - Exit

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

It would be nice to think that one day Stateless could be revelling in the adulation of the music industry's great and good but don't try holding your breath.

What the others say

"A record which finally gives the public access to great Stateless songs which evoke memories of late 90s Bristol trip-hop." – Leeds Music Scene.

"Taken together this 50 minutes of densely-produced, ravishing music deserves serious attention." – Whisperin’ & Hollerin’.com

So is it any good?

Opening with an Antony And The Johnsons go film noir on Prism #1, Stateless pump grit and elegance into trip-hop, which they maintain with the sizzling Exit and the heartfelt Bloodstream, the musical cousin to Athlete's Wires.

This Language, a plea for sanity and reason in light of the War On Terror, stumbles blindly before sumptuous strings, cello and violin underscore Lateef The Truthspeaker’s excellent rap to produce the standout track of the album.

Sandwiched between This Language and the thrilling dark dance of Radiokiller – imagine Jim Morrison writing for the Scissor Sisters – is the dirge of Down Here.

Into the home stretch with Crash which fails to soar; the urgent beat jostling with Chris James' tender voice. However, Bluetrace's dream-like, chaotic musings on memory and perception make you gratefully slip into the foetal position, passion spent, seeking to fend off the encroaching night, for the beautiful closing track Inscape.

9 /10

Lee Davis

Stateless