Tricky is an artist who, in my opinion, is about as under-appreciated as they come. A core member of The Wild Bunch, the undisputed Bristol-based forefathers of trip hop, he spent a few years in Massive Attack before setting out on a solo career.
His 2013 album False Idols was undoubtedly my favorite album of the year; I cannot recommend it highly enough. Now, he's set to release his eleventh solo album, Adrian Thaws (his real name), and "Sun Down" is the third offering thus far.
Labeling this his "club/hip hop" album in a recent press release set off serious alarm bells -- I adore his dark, visceral trip hop. I'm not ready for a Tricky club album.
My worries were evidently for naught; "Sun Down" is excellent.
True to the Tricky I know and love, the gloomy track emphasizes sparsity. A deep beat and an eerily damp bass lie miles away from Tricky's croaky vocals, and even further from Tirzah's sweet-yet-sour guest vocals.
There's something dark and dirty about this track. It's tainted, it's deliberately imperfect, it's almost sleazy. I love it.
Adrian Thaws will be released on September 8 under Tricky's own label, False Idols.
SIMILAR SONGS
