Tricky
Knowle West Boy
Release Date: Sep 9, 2008
Genre(s): Electronic
Record label: Domino
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Album Review: Knowle West Boy by Tricky
Fairly Good, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
The set begins with a lounge-blues soundscape that evokes the late-night feel of Barry Adamson at his sleaziest. It explodes about a minute in, strutting its scrappy big band against Fripp-ian guitars, a cracking distorted snare, and cymbal thuggery. The cool thing is in its humor. Tricky plays a lounge lizard boasting about himself to a young woman (Alex Mills) who hands it back to him on a funhouse mirror.
Based on rating 2/5
Originally, Tricky's new record was to be helmed by ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, the hot-handed producer behind Duffy's breakthrough and the Black Kids' recent debut. That partnership, however, ended swiftly and acrimoniously, with Butler demanding a co-production credit that reportedly delayed its release. (Tricky inevitably self-produced.) Butler might consider himself lucky he got out when he did, as Tricky's ideas are scattered all over the place and Knowle West Boy is mostly a mess.