Tricky - Angels With Dirty Faces (Island Records) Listening to this album, you have to wonder why Tricky is so morose. Not that Angels With Dirty Faces is an unpleasant experience. Rather it is an intriguing, moody album.
This trip-hoppy bluesy affair should help Tricky regain some of the respect he lost with the follow-ups to his debut, Maxinquaye.
On his fourth album, Tricky takes you on a trip while he trips.
By far the best track on the album is the exquisite Singing The Blues. Martina's vocals are haunting and pained and the beats are classic trip-hop.
In an attempt to express his passion for hip-hop, Tricky again decides to remake a rap track, with Slick Rick's The Moment I Feared. The track is not bad, but disappointingly, does not stand up to the original.
There is also some music industry commentary. On Record Companies, he remarks on the slayings of Tupac Shakur and Notorious Big. Tricky argues that record companies were unconcerned by the deaths: 'Record companies love when they kill themselves/it boost up the record sales/now which one of you's gonna be the next niggy.' Definitely some food for thought here, if a little depressing.
