Artist: Massive Attack
Album: Splitting The Atom EP
Year: 2009
Grade: 3 pretzels
Six years have elapsed since Massive Attack’s last album and the world is suffering in their absence. Few things are as frustrating as a band disappearing from sight at the peak of their powers. Between the grinding blackness of Mezzanine and the icy starkness of 100th Window, Massive Attack had established themselves as purveyors of dark, electronic soundscapes, oozing and flowing out of your speakers. Then, suddenly…silence. Beyond a solitary new single to promote a compilation album in 2006, no new material has appeared from Camp Massive Attack…until now. This new Splitting The Atom EP features four songs, supposedly heralding a new album in February.
The first of these tracks, “Splitting The Atom”, is the most traditionally-Massive-Attack-sounding song this EP has to offer. The vocals are split between band members Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, along with long-time collaborator Horace Andy. Sadly, despite these trusted voices, the song never really gets off the ground. It lacks the internal tension that’s driven so much of Massive Attack’s music over the past decade. Its atmospheric gloom seems only surface deep and 3D’s voice lacks its usual smoky, eerie edge. The song just rides along on repeat, accomplishing little.
The second song, “Pray For Rain”, has much more promise musically. With a shuddering drum loop and an ominous piano line forming the song’s backbone, it has a stately creepiness to it. It conjures up cities and storms and danger. However, it too gets dragged down, this time by guest vocals from Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio. While Adebimpe is usually a breathtaking vocalist, his attempts here to emulate Massive Attack’s understated vibe rob his voice of all its power and drive. His voice is too clear and clean for music this glowering. It’s not a good match at all.
Thankfully, the EP picks up some slack with its final two songs. “Bulletproof Love” (credited as a “Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid Remix”) features a stellar vocal turn from Elbow’s Guy Garvey. His worn, breathy tenor meshes much better with the thudding, minimal music behind it, especially when wrapped around unsettling lyrics like “I’m not good in a crowd, I got skills I can’t speak of.” By the same token, “Psyche (Flash Treatment)”, featuring longtime trip-hop vocalist Martina Topley-Bird, is a compelling mix of mysterious vocals and building musical tension. “Psyche” is also the EP’s most upbeat track, although it still retains Massive Attack’s trademark icy patina. All in all, Splitting The Atom is, indeed, split, showing two different qualities of song that may appear on their upcoming album.
The first of these tracks, “Splitting The Atom”, is the most traditionally-Massive-Attack-sounding song this EP has to offer. The vocals are split between band members Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, along with long-time collaborator Horace Andy. Sadly, despite these trusted voices, the song never really gets off the ground. It lacks the internal tension that’s driven so much of Massive Attack’s music over the past decade. Its atmospheric gloom seems only surface deep and 3D’s voice lacks its usual smoky, eerie edge. The song just rides along on repeat, accomplishing little.
The second song, “Pray For Rain”, has much more promise musically. With a shuddering drum loop and an ominous piano line forming the song’s backbone, it has a stately creepiness to it. It conjures up cities and storms and danger. However, it too gets dragged down, this time by guest vocals from Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio. While Adebimpe is usually a breathtaking vocalist, his attempts here to emulate Massive Attack’s understated vibe rob his voice of all its power and drive. His voice is too clear and clean for music this glowering. It’s not a good match at all.
Thankfully, the EP picks up some slack with its final two songs. “Bulletproof Love” (credited as a “Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid Remix”) features a stellar vocal turn from Elbow’s Guy Garvey. His worn, breathy tenor meshes much better with the thudding, minimal music behind it, especially when wrapped around unsettling lyrics like “I’m not good in a crowd, I got skills I can’t speak of.” By the same token, “Psyche (Flash Treatment)”, featuring longtime trip-hop vocalist Martina Topley-Bird, is a compelling mix of mysterious vocals and building musical tension. “Psyche” is also the EP’s most upbeat track, although it still retains Massive Attack’s trademark icy patina. All in all, Splitting The Atom is, indeed, split, showing two different qualities of song that may appear on their upcoming album.
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