Tricky - Mixed Race

Like various associates in the mid-90s trip-hop scene, Tricky has struggled to develop his style beyond his first couple of great albums. Now onto his ninth, there's no sign of any resurgence with Mixed Race, a largely forgettable collection of songs he could've recorded at any point in the last decade. First single Murder Weapon uses the famous Peter Gunn Theme bassline to support a lazily sung hook, Ghetto Stars' overlapping vocals give the frightening impression of being surrounded by conniving Trickys, and Time To Dance briefly lets you believe our sedated hero has ventured inside a discotheque. To his credit, there's a long way between the gruff Arabic vocals and fingerpicked guitars of Hakim, and the painfully sharp synths and tight rapping of Bristol To London. But despite its ten songs clocking in at under 30 minutes, the handful of ideas in Mixed Race are spread thinly. [John Wylie]