is the 60-year-old's first album in nearly 20 years, she announces her arrival back on the scene immediately with the staunch proclamation "This is my voice, my weapon of choice". There's no mistaking that saucy, deep,
and velvety voice on opening track
This Is
. Nor is there any mistaking the mix of head-nodding dub and reggae (a hallmark of her Jamaican heritage), primal disco rhythms, and a dark soulful spirit.
Hurricane
is a welcome comeback, especially on the lurching
Corporate Cannibal
and smooth, swinging first single
Williams' Blood
, with its outbursts of shuddering and distorted rage throughout. The trouble is, after
Well Well Well
(which in itself is a dead ringer for
Private Life
off 1980's
Warm Leatherette
) the album doesn't hold up.
The title track, with it's dark and static dub-step mood, lacks the nastier pulse that's needed;
Love You To Life
is a light and fluffy shuffler;
Sunset Sunrise
is reggae-meets-cabaret (never a good combo); and while
Devil In My Life
broods and rumbles before a climactic orchestral ending, Massive Attack have been there and done that.
So kids, download the first five tracks and then go back in time to track down
Pull Up To The Bumper
and the entire 1985 album
Slave To the Rhythm
.
Scott Kara
