Massive Attack - "Protection" (1994)

Massive Attack's sophomore album, Protection, for me really sits between Blue Lines and Mezzanine, in both its sound and how I feel about the record. The groups style has evolved from the more embryonic version of trip hop present on Blue lines; with the dub, soul and hip hop influences more seamlessly merged together into something darker and more brooding. Yet the album doesn't possess the alien and suffocating atmosphere that runs through much of Mezzanine, and made it so utterly captivating. It's still a really great listen though.

The record opens up on its best, the absolutely fantastic title track. Tracey Thorn's soothing vocals glide over a reverb heavy drum loop and an emotional synth chord pattern. Other elements come and go in the mix, building up to a swell during the chorus. The nearly 8 minute track gives so much time to be absorbed by its atmosphere and heartfelt lyrics about caring about someone and wanting to protect them. Karmacoma follows, contrasting the serenity of Protection with a dubby, tropical atmosphere. It has this cavernous, repetitive sounding percussion and weirdly distorted synths that crop up during the chorus. Thorn also provides vocals for the track Better Things, a minimal and laid-back tune. A simple guitar loop provides the backbone for the song, with the occasional swell of synths or guitar as flourishes. It is all about vocals here. Tracey croons over the mix about not overthinking life and provides the mantra of "Here me say, better things will surely come my way" as the hook.

The tracks Three and Sly feature Nicolette Suwoton on vocals, and both have a mysterious, Middle Eastern vibe to them. Sly in particular is accentuated by lavish strings, making the track sound effortlessly cool, like it should accompany a globe trotting film where the protagonist has found some mysterious hidden city in the desert. Three has more of a synthetic feel to the instrumentation, with a rigid electronic beat and a looping sample of someone saying "Three", repeated into a chant that fades in and out. It certainly makes the track feel less cinematic, but no less mysterious. Euro Child also has a very synthetic atmosphere to it, with the group gently rapping over the grimy beat. There's some melody in this track that sounds almost like vocals, but they are processed to the point that its hard to tell. These are juxtaposed a lounge-esque keyboard line, which gives a very weird off-kilter quality to the song; as if its trying to lure you in despite its harsh and rigid atmosphere.

The penultimate track, Heat Miser, is much closer to the tense claustrophobia of Mezzanine. Ventilated breathing appears at the back of the mix alongside a rigid beat. A dramatic string part accentuates the main piano melody of the song, which itself is intense and spooky. The actual closer is a live, dub cover of The Doors' Light My Fire. It's a great cover, but does feel like a bonus track (even though it's part of the regular track listing), since it is far more lighthearted and fun than the rest of the album.

While I feel like my perception of this album is slightly affected by experiencing Mezzanine first (as everything the group do here is done even better on the next record), it is still a really well executed record. The sounds of this record ebb and flow, and take you on a moody and atmospheric unwind. It also strikes me as an interesting listen from the perspective of the band's sonic development over their first three records. There is a clear progression between each album, yet the development is very linear - there's no real detours into completely different genres along the way. And the title track is so good it makes a listen worth it just for that.

Top Tracks: Protection, Karmacoma, Better Things, Euro Child, Sly, Heat Miser

8/10

Circa Waves - "Sad Happy" (2020)

The indie pop rock band have quickly followed up their third album, last year's What's It Like Over There, a record I didn't think was all that great. It felt rather underwritten and trend-chasing, and I haven't really come back to any of the songs from it since. This record is a double album, with the first half titled Happy and containing expectedly cheerful songs and the second half, titled Sad, likewise exploring more downbeat emotions. While fairly short by even single album standards (it's 43 minutes), this idea is executed very well and does make it feel like a double album. The Happy side is all really upbeat, cheerful songs; and the sad side does feel emotional and vulnerable.

My two big gripes with What's It Like Over There are also improved upon here. While the sound of the record is hardly something new, the incredibly irritating 2010's pop rock tropes in WILOT are nowhere to be found. This album finds itself playing in the sounds of 2000's to early 2010's indie bands such as Vampire Weekend, The Killers and Two Door Cinema Club, and also dabbles in some more new wave sounding stuff on the Sad half of the record. It's certainly a sound the band are far more at home in than trying to sound like Imagine Dragons. The lyricism and song writing are also stronger here, with more detailed songs and actual choruses that aren't just one line sung over and over. Some of the songs (mainly on the Sad side) feel like they're genuine and honest, and do feel like they connect to a certain extent.

Unfortunately, even though it doesn't posses any real negative qualities, it doesn't really do anything particularly special and noteworthy, especially the Happy side. These songs feel like they're just aping other bands styles - like some sort of tribute act that plays their own songs as well. The singles Jacqueline and Move To San Francisco, as well as the track Wasted On You, are very indebted to Vampire Weekend. Perhaps it's because I've never really gotten into them, but I really don't care for the songs in this style. They're competent and professional, but do nothing for me. The best songs on the Happy half are the two louder, heavier tracks. Be Your Drug matches up an early era Two Door Cinema Club chorus with some heavy, crunchy guitars, creating quite a unique hard dance-punk sound to the song. Call Your Name sounds like Hot Fuss era Killers b-side, with roaring guitars and a soaring, anthemic hook. And while it doesn't match the quality of the best Killers tracks, it's still decent enough.

The Sad side doesn't feel quite so derivative, outside of the poppy Battered & Bruised. This track sounds somewhere between AM Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys, and has these tacky whistles as part of the chorus. It sounds annoying and earworm-y and perfect for a car ad. The rest of this half takes a more subtle new wave-y approach. Wake Up Call has this dramatic outro with these arpeggiated synth line, and Keiran Shuddal's vocals sound very earnest in it. The following track, Sympathy, is an emotional, self deprecating, acoustic guitar ballad with some eery chords that help to sell the angst. Hope There's A Heaven sounds so 80's with reverb effects smoothering the synths and Keiran's towering vocals, and the rigid bass and drum track. The Closer, Birthday Cake, is a weird closer. It's a slow, mellow, Coldplay-ish, tune that's moody and brooding - and is a decent song. But it's one of the few songs on the Sad side that doesn't really have much of a positive angle within it, and so is a weird way for the album to leave off on.

This album is fine. It is well written and professionally made, but I feel like it's sterile and workman-like. It lacks the raucous energy of the bands first couple of records, and is no where near inventive or unique enough to really have it's own identity. I don't dislike it, but I don't really like it either. At least it's definitely an improvement from WILOT, and maybe the group will go off and do something completely different for album 5, since they have the intentions of releasing music a lot more quickly than other guitar acts.

Top Tracks: Be Your Drug, Call Your Name, Wake Up Call

5/10