Massive Attack – Heligoland
Massive Attack have long been a creative force that has gone beyond boundaries and produced some of the finest slices of British music from the last two decades. From the R&B grooves of Safe From Harm and Unfinished Sympathy to the claustrophobia of Angel and the electronica-infused Future Proof. The themes have been the same, but Massive Attack have always found ways to keep things fresh and exciting-sounding. On Heligoland, the band’s fifth album and their first for seven years (almost exactly that amount of time, missing out by just two days), it’s evident that perhaps 3D and Daddy G themselves were struggling to think of ways to progress their music.
There are several guest vocalists on the LP, more so than any previous album, with about eight singers sharing the limelight. Those who know Massive Attack will know that their track record when it comes to this subject matter is pretty solid and it’s a track record that remains unbroken. TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe adds his soft croon to the haunting Pray For Rain, and Damon Albarn and Guy Garvey add their own heart-on-their-sleeves vocals to the wistful Saturday Come Slow and the downtempo Flat Of The Blade respectively. Long-term fans will be pleased to know that Horace Andy, a collaborator who has been with the Bristolians since day one, also returns to steal the show on Girl I Love You.
Whilst there is plenty to admire about the way that these songs have been crafted and there are definitely standouts on Heligoland that rank amongst some of the best songs that they’ve ever made (see the outstandingly beautiful Paradise Circus and the subtly hypnotic album closer Atlas Air), you can’t help but feel that things aren’t that different. All ten songs seem to remind you about songs from previous albums and one does wonder whether, on this basis, Massive Attack can make another album as game-changing as Mezzanine or Blue Lines.
There are also a few tracks that veer dangerously towards tediously dull: Rush Minute and Psyche are two prime examples of songs that don’t really captivate the attention of the listener for too long. For all the grumbles though, Heligoland still contains traces of the things that made you a fan of Massive Attack in the first place. It might not be completely worth the seven-year waiting period, but it’s still an album that does have some rewarding moments.
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Posted on February 8th, 2010 by Max
Filed under: Albums, Reviews
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