A new album from Massive Attack is an event, even if only one-third of the original group is present for the festivities. Just the group's fourth album in more than a dozen years, 100th Window marked the departure of Mushroom (permanently, after artistic differences) and Daddy G (temporarily, to raise a family), leaving only one founding member, 3D (Robert del Naja), to muddle along with arranger/producer Neil Davidge (who made his Massive Attack debut on 1998's Mezzanine). Though Del Naja is mostly successful giving the people what they want -- a follow-up to Mezzanine, one of the most compulsive listens of '90s electronica -- it unfortunately comes as a sacrifice to the very thing that made Massive Attack so crucial to dance music: their never-ending progression to a radically different sound with each release. For better or worse, 100th Window has the same crushingly oppressive productions, dark, spiralling basslines, and pile-driving beats instantly familiar to fans of Mezzanine. Fortunately, it also has the same depth and point-perfect attention to detail, making for fascinating listening no matter whether the focus is the songs, the effects, or even the percussion lines. Jamaican crooner Horace Andy is back for a pair of tracks ("Everywhen," "Name Taken") that nearly equal his features on the last record, while Sinéad O'Connor makes her debut with three vocal features. Unlike Liz Fraser or Tracey Thorn (two Massive Attack muses from the past), O'Connor's voice lacks resonance and doesn't reward the close inspection that a Massive Attack production demands. Still, her songwriting is far superior and the slight quaver in her voice adds a much-needed personality to these songs. "A Prayer for England" is a political protest that aligns itself perfectly with the group that coined its name as a satirical nod to military aggression. Another feature for O'Connor, "What Your Soul Sings," is the only song here that compares to the best Massive Attack has to offer, beginning with a harsh, claustrophobic atmosphere, but soon blossoming like a flower into a beautiful song led by her tremulous voice. In comparison, the four songs for 3D are average at best, mere recyclings of the same ideas heard years earlier. That's satisfaction enough for those who kept Mezzanine near their stereo for years on end, but a disappointment to those expecting another masterpiece.
...I've found out that one of my neighbors is one of the loudest people on the planet, always blasting music; starting a fracas and keeping the gossip lines fresh with new bulletins (I've nicknamed him "Scoop Newsworthy")...I've lived next to the guy for a few years but never knew how obnoxious he really was until I started working during the day (I've found it much easier to write at night whe...
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So I'm sitting down with Massive Attack and giving them another chance. I didn't really like them at all when a friend was raving about them a couple years ago. I felt rather bored by them. But then again, at the time I was all about catchy, poppy singalong shizzle. May I see the light this go around!Oh and...Merry Christmas!!!
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Massive Attack produces kink-free trip-hopFive years since the release of their multi-platinum album Mezzanine, Massive Attack has returned with a similar but equally powerful album that is guaranteed to satisfy the diehard fans and intrigue the newcomers. Often called the originators of trip-hop, Massive Attack has come to blur the lines of pop and electronic music completely, producing a soun...
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This song is Massive Attack at thier best. Pulsating beats along with drawn out lyrics make this one of Attack's longest songs. Definently one to get you chilled out.
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...I've found out that one of my neighbors is one of the loudest people on the planet, always blasting music; starting a fracas and keeping the gossip lines fresh with new bulletins (I've nicknamed him "Scoop Newsworthy")...I've lived next to the guy for a few years but never knew how obnoxious he really was until I started working during the day (I've found it much easier to write at night whe...
More >
So I'm sitting down with Massive Attack and giving them another chance. I didn't really like them at all when a friend was raving about them a couple years ago. I felt rather bored by them. But then again, at the time I was all about catchy, poppy singalong shizzle. May I see the light this go around!Oh and...Merry Christmas!!!
More >
This song is Massive Attack at thier best. Pulsating beats along with drawn out lyrics make this one of Attack's longest songs. Definently one to get you chilled out.
More >
Massive Attack produces kink-free trip-hopFive years since the release of their multi-platinum album Mezzanine, Massive Attack has returned with a similar but equally powerful album that is guaranteed to satisfy the diehard fans and intrigue the newcomers. Often called the originators of trip-hop, Massive Attack has come to blur the lines of pop and electronic music completely, producing a soun...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Future Proof |
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| 2 What Your Soul Sings |
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| 3 Everywhen |
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| 4 Special Cases |
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| 5 Butterfly Caught |
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| 6 A Prayer for England |
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| 7 Small Time Shot Away |
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| 8 Name Taken |
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| 9 Antistar |
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| 10 [CD-Rom Track] |
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 "100th Window")
