Massive Attack - Splitting the Atom E.P
After a three year break in which we have seen plenty of young pretenders with synths and complexes trying to sound like the Ivor Novello
Winners, Massive Attack have returned to make more of their own brand of gothic infused, indie friendly, trip-hop that pushes the boundaries of what they have previously recorded and make you wonder exactly what it is that goes in their minds. E.P 'Splitting the Atom' is no exception to the rule.
Opening track 'Splitting the Atom' sees a guest turn on vocals from reggae star Horace Andy, and is exactly what you would expect from
Massive Attack; dark, brooding, seductive and so slickly produced it's practically slippery. Listening to this track you can really hear where
bands like 'Peeping Tom' and 'Gorillaz' have looked for inspiration when writing, because this is trip hop at its finest. The same can be said of next track 'Pray for Rain', where Tunde Abebimpe from 'Tv on the Radio' purrs darkly over a recurrent rolling military sounding drum roll which brings
out the bleakness of the lyrics. After two amazing tracks with two amazing guest vocalists, you wait with baited breath for the third but sadly 'Bulletproof Love' cannot live up to the standard Massive Attack have set for themselves so far on this E.P. Remixed by 'The Subliminal Kid' this has a strangely muddy, bleak feel to it and is hard work to get through. Even with the addition of a brass interlude midway through, it just doesn't speak to you the way the other three tracks do.
However, its not the end of the E.P just yet, and final track 'Psyche' is a triumph. Short, sweet and with honeyed vocals, this track is a
lovely soft antidote to some of the darker moments on this E.P. Overall, Massive attack don't disapoint here, and this EP leaves you desperate
to hear what they're going to pull out of the bag for the album in 2010. A brilliant taster of whats to come; welcome back boys.