Bows - Blush (1999)

Bows is for the most part a relatively unheard of trip-hop artist, and Blush is a truly deep cut of 90's trip-hop, appearing after its death, in 1999. I hadn't even heard of it until recently, in my search for trip-hop gems. But is this album a true gem?

Like much late 90's trip-hop (often labelled "Post-Trip-Hop"), it tries to escape the trip-hop label whilst profiting off the memory of the genre. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is merely an observation.

The album starts with a luscious synthetic chord sequence in "big wings", a motif which is carried on throughout the album, and symbolises a certain euphoria which it pulls off nicely without becoming too roomy or hazy. And to cement its position as something urban, it proceeds to introduce a rolling hip-hop break. Complementing the synthesism of the chord sequence are horns, giving a full and natural sound. A strong album opener, if I've ever heard one.

And then it proceeds on to an interlude track, with crowd atmosphere and a shitload of bass, a certain "party next door" sound. Now, I do like this. It's a good interlude. It has a strong atmosphere. But the second track of an album, I believe, is there to complement the first. Preferably with a similar sound (for a poor example of this, see "tell her tonight" after "Jaqueline" on Franz Ferdinand's eponymous album). This shows a lack of direction, to be frank. And I feel that in other areas of the album.

The third track - the title track, "Blush" - is the first with male vocals. It utilises the motif, and hip-hop beats, much like the first track. However, this is nowhere near as strong. The singing is simply not strong enough for bass-beats. The voice is thin, much like Chris Corner's in Sneaker Pimps' later albums. And the orchestration (which is plentiful in the album) doesn't make up for the cringe-worthy singing that we have just witnessed.

But the album moves on, instantly throwing to another interlude song. I'm not criticising this choice, but so far there has been little material to the album. However, I will forgive Bows as the short song has some interesting  sounds. But anyway.

"King Deluxe" is another orchestrated song, which works well... but still feels like an interlude, despite its length of nearly 5 minutes. The female vocals wash together with string sections and a slow high-pass-filtered drum beat, feeling perfect for a Film4 advert. But this song consists of exactly 4 chords. The album has, so far, offered 2 real songs out of 5, and one of those has not particularly impressed me.
Now add another interlude, which is a comical advertisement for Bows. I'd like this if this were on a fully hip-hop album, where you can afford to be funny, or even if they had preceded the song with any glimpse of humour. But there it is, out of the blue. It doesn't fit. Sure, it has some jazz in the background, that's nice. It's not developed though. I hate to point out the obvious, but this screams "Lack of Direction".

So far I have sounded very negative about the album, which is unfair. I like it. But it often doesn't do itself any favours.
However, by the 7th track we hit another great song. "Britannica" joins orchestration with drum and bass in a very Lamb-like manner. I'm sure that it's directly influenced, their eponymous album being released 3 years prior to Blush. But they aren't trying to hide this. The song is a little lacking in true content, but works well on an atmospheric level - and that's what trip-hop's all about, right?

So Britannica passed without a problem. Then comes "Aquavella". Another interlude track. Yeah. With the motif. Nevertheless, this track feels natural after Britannica, and presents the motif in an under-watery sort of texture, so I'll let them have this.
This flows into "It'll be half time in England soon". This, much like King Deluxe, has little content. It feels like ANOTHER interlude.
I'm not asking for singles. I'm not asking for verse-chorus-verse. And I like the album. But looking at it objectively, what has the album given me? Texture and timbre, a blast of tune here and there, but not much else.

However, the next song "Girl's Lips Glitter" shows itself as a fantastic saviour in terms of "Song over Sound". Another drum 'n' bass driven track, with a tumbling, descending electric piano phrase. And this, along with an occasional orchestral flourish, is all the song needs.
The male vocals return in this song, and they work to a greater extent than before. I'll throw it out there, the lyrics are terrible. But I ignore this, instead focusing on the hypnotising "American Beauty" feeling it has going on. Seriously, they could plant this in the film and it would work perfectly. A certain understatement is in here, and whilst maintaining a fast beat it succeeds in chilling to the core - in the best way possible. Guitar harmonics sprinkle its path like stars, until the electric piano glides off into the darkness, setting the next track a difficult standard to beat.

And whilst "Sleepyhead" doesn't beat "Girl's Lips Glitter" it tries its hardest. It maintains the introspective aura, but slows down the rhythm. The song is guitar driven, but it is used in a minimalist manner, giving a dry feeling, which explodes into a luscious fusion in what could be described as a "chorus". The female vocals in the song are used sparingly (a rare feat in trip-hop, I admire the choice). This then flows into the next song, "Rockets".

And here ends the album. Rockets is a dedicated finished, using the motif once more, identically to Big Wings, for a cyclical climax. It's a success. It has grandeur. It makes the album feel finished.

But what was there to finish, exactly? The album had like... 4 real songs. Many of the interludes were of throw-away quality. There was a lack of direction.
But the album is a classic example of "Sounds over Songs". Because, to be fair, in terms of texture, tone and timbre, Bows was generous. And I suppose this is the reason why the album was not a commercial hit like Dummy or Becoming X. And whilst it had a lack of direction, it did (for the most-part) maintain a hypnotic atmosphere of introspection and euphoria; a truly late-night album, like many of my favourite albums are.

Also, the production is flawless (save the male vocals, which could have done with being mixed down). Every intended emotion is out there, naked and obvious. And nothing says this more than the opening track.
I have been negative about the individual songs on the album, because the album does not work in terms of songs. It only works as a whole, and in that sense it works well. It is driving-home-late music, it is pre-drinking music, it is poker music. But don't bother playing it to your Oasis-loving friends.

The album, to me, will by no means stand out as a trip-hop classic to me, or even one of my favourite. I would, however, describe it as a gem. It serves its purpose well, and so rare is it to find an album completely dedicated to mood. Unfortunately for Bows, in this sense it is drastically out-shined by Sofa Surfers, who create mood more efficiently, with more variation and stronger memorability. But Bows sits in its place as a trip-hop runner-up, and of this it should be proud.

Tobacco - Fucked Up Friends (2008)

It's trippy, it's hip-hoppy, does this make Tobacco's "Fucked up Friends" trip-hop? Probably not.
But it IS the finest non-trip-hop psychedelic hip-hop album out there (that's a bit too niche a market to aim for, but he's selling records so is obviously doing something right).

The album is archetypical summer music. Whether you're driving with your windows down, or enjoying a refreshing hops-based alcoholic beverage in the sun, or smoking illegal substances (not an activity I like to partake in, but I know lots of people do, and I don't want to exclude them because I'm a nice guy) this album will capture (and enhance) your positive emotions.
So, what makes Tobacco special? Let's identify the elements.

1) Lo-Fi production - The use of analogue synthesisers and tape music is sweet and leads to some very thick sounds. The first track, "Street Trash" is a particularly strong example of this. The bass synth is covered in noise, making a fuzzy sound over low beats for a head-popping experience. It reminds us all of the variety of sounds that can't really be replicated by digital technologies.
Also, vocoders being used well. Not like the kiddies with their microKORGs and trendy rock bands and haircuts. No, not at all. As seen in "Dirt", the vocoder is used to enhance the psychedelic experience, rather than use as a spot-effect. Which is lame.

2) Hooks galore - This is not Animals as Leaders. I'm not expecting a technical experience using 12 different chords in 4 bars in a 13/8 time signature in Diminished Lydian mode in D. I'm expecting something cool and catchy, and Tobacco never fails to deliver this, with ever-so-hummable leads which will buzz around your head like a disabled fly in a glass box. The harmonies that Tobacco does offer are always used effectively.
At times I take a step back from the album and note that, in reality, the album actually offers very little in terms of musical phrases. In fact, since there are 16 tracks on the album, I'd say that there are probably about 16 different intrinsic musical phrases. But I suppose this adds to the hypnoticism of the album.

3) Feels good man (or inc.) - Since you have access to the internet, there are probably moments during your life when you feel unhappy, since the internet=sadness. But fear not, because this is cheerful as fuck. And danceable. If you want to feel gloomy and think of your ex-girlfriend whilst masturbating and crying (followed by a quick self-harm session), don't listen to this album. Go for "Third" by Portishead.

Actually, as part of a social experiment conducted and carried out by me, James Skelly, I have this task for you: Start your masturbating and crying session (whilst thinking about your ex), and whilst doing so play the song "Grease Wizard" on repeat. My hypothesis is that you will become too happy to continue. Please post your results, preferably with before and after pictures as scientific evidence.

Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)

How else can one start a blog without trip-hop without first writing about the album "Blue Lines" by Massive Attack? It remains, along with Portishead's "Dummy", the most prolific trip-hop album ever. Yes, and that includes Mezzanine.

So, to start: Massive Attack started as a sound system in Bristol called "The Wild Bunch". Now, there are a couple of things that hit me whilst looking at that sentence.

1) Bristol - When I think of Bristol, first I think of trip-hop. Then I think of the slave trade.
2) Sound System - When I think of "Sound Systems" (In this context) I think of Dancehall music and MCs and... not white people.

These two pieces of information are important to the album Blue Lines, and to Massive Attack as a whole. If we look at the members, we will notice that two of the 3 primary members at the time were black. So was frequent contributor Horace Andy. So here is a primarily black group, sitting in the slave capital of England in a scene which is largely of black culture.

Why did Blue Lines find the sound it did? Why didn't it turn out to be a hip-hop album? Because let's face it, it is a completely different entity to hip-hop at that time (for example Dr Dre's "The Chronic" was to be released the following year).
There are several likely reasons. This was not The Bronx. Hip-Hop was not as influential in the UK as the USA (our biggest hip-hop producer at that moment was Coldcuts). The influence was moreso reggae and dancehall music, joined with the dance scene of the late 80s and early 90s. Hip-hop, no doubt, was an element, but not necessarily the primary one.
And with this said, there was obviously more of a white influence on the music than in hip-hop - with Del Naja providing a creative force, and Cameron McVey producing, the album was not one which was racially confined, as early hip-hop was (Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" was hardly aiming to reach a white audience, was it?). As evident in the track "Unfinished Sympathy", Shara Nelson shows that the more accessible genre of soul was closer to Massive Attack's sound.

Indeed, the various of influences of trip-hop seem to have amalgamated in the legendary club "The Dugout", which Del Naja described as "probably the only place in Bristol where black and white people could hang out together, because of the music". DJs played funk, soul, hip-hop, electro and reggae there, a highly fertile soil for the genre that would germinate from it. We can look at the width of blue lines, and see "One Love" next to "Daydreaming", with a vast sea of difference between the two.

But by the by. Nobody wants to hear a history lesson, do they? So without further ado, here is a track by track breakdown of Blue Lines.

1. Safe from Harm - An establishing song and single. It still gets plenty of airtime, frequently used in adverts, etc.. To be frank, I consider it much more typical of Blue Lines than Unfinished Sympathy.
The first track on the first trip-hop album starts as you'd think. A rolling bassline with chilled beats and eerie keyboards, not to mention Shara Nelson's haunting (a cliché, I know, but a true one) vocals, and holding it together are the male vocals; not quite rapped, not quite spoken, not quite whispered.
The song is also notable and typical of trip-hop style as it is heavily sample based, taking nearly all of its key elements from Billy Cobham's song "stratus" - another indication of the varied influences which amalgamated in Blue Lines.

2. One Love - From the full sound of Safe from Harm, the tempo dips considerably into the sparse "One Love", dub influences at the ready, Horace Andy ready to fire, sir. Whilst this does show variety in the album, it does not represent Massive Attack's sound at all. However, it's still quite enjoyable, simply because of a few chilled samples and Horace Andy's crooning.

3. Blue Lines - My favourite from the album. The perfect title track, summing up the whole album. Lyrically - incredibly strong. Musically - chilled as fuck. And you are getting plenty of Massive Attack for your money, including Tricky (before he put his (oversized) experimental boots on).
Trick delivers the lines that sum up the whole album to me.

How we live in this existence, just being

English upbringing, background carribean

This says it all. Here, they firstly display the fusion between their black roots and British sensibilities, which influences the music they had chosen to make. Also, the line "How we live in this existence, just being" sums up Blue Lines perfectly. In Mezzanine, it would seem highly inappropriate, but Blue Lines was written by a group who fell into place - not aimed at making money (or even a real album as a real band), it represents these young people who made music because they enjoyed it.

4. Be Thankful For What You've Got - A William DeVaughan cover. This song works nicely, is chilled and shows soul roots. But it's just a cover.

5. Five Man Army - Another track where you're looking at a lot of Massive for your money. It also includes Daddy G's biggest vocal contribution to the album - a voice so deep that it nearly matches the groovy bass loop in frequency. This track seems to be a throwback to the soundsystem partying feel. It also contains the lyrics

This is the miracle of the dubplate dub selection

So whether you're black white or half-caste in your complexion

Yes pull out your phono plug and tuck you in your phony

It's started by marconi resumed by sony

A summary by wireless history and only

The massive attack enorme explosione

How accurate they are.

6. Unfinished Sympathy - This is not my favourite song on the album by any means, and I really don't want to go into the details of why. Just look on a list of the greatest songs of the 90's for more information (if you even need it, which I doubt since this is one of the most whored songs ever).

7. Daydreaming - Setting a precedent for the "uneasy" style of trip-hop that would follow, and a natural ancestor to much of mezzanine, such as Inertia Creeps. However, it's not actually that enjoyable. There's something about when Shara Nelson's cry of "I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalking on air" which depresses me to the point of not being able to listen to the song, firstly because it sounds so desperate, and secondly because it reminds me of Home and Away. Which is a depressing thing to think of.

8. Lately - A lazy song, with a squelchy bassline which reminds me of very primitive bass sequencers. However, this plodding bassline makes the song incredibly catching, as does the falsetto chorus. And a sampled sweeping sound breezes through the song every couple of bars, which adds a bit of scenery. Essentially, the song does very well for itself, considering its simplicity.

9. Hymn of the Big Wheel - The album finisher, and a very strange choice in reality. Strangely, this was released as part of "Massive Attack EP", along with Be Thankful. Some sort of environmental anthem (I prefer The Postal Service's "Natural Anthem" to be honest) emerges here. Unfortunately, it's not particularly well produced, which detracts massively from the grandeur that I suppose it wanted. In fact, my favourite part of the production is the bass drum which is bowel-moving. I suppose that in all, it is quite an inspiring song, but it would have been nice to hear a song which was closer to the Massive Attack sound to finish this piece of Trip-hop history. But hey, you can't have everything.

So, that is Blue Lines. Enjoy listening.