7 years after their last studio album release, Massive Attack returned with their most recent LP, Heligoland (named after a German Island archipelago). The record also features the return of Grant Marshall to the group and a step away from the incredibly synthetic and electronic sounds of 100th Window, back towards the more organic soundscapes of the first three albums. It's a change I welcome, as I much prefer that side of the group's sound. However it is not just a rehash of their 90s era, with the group creating an entirely different atmosphere and soundscape. In the years since the group's peak, artists like Gorillaz and Radiohead have combined electronica with mainstream rock and pop in a more immediate way, and I can definitely here that influence within Heligoland. The synth tones are sharp and colourful, and really pop out of the mix; and the guitars have a real snarl to them in places, making this the rockiest of all the Massive Attack records. Gorillaz' Damon Albarn even features as a guest vocalist on one of the tracks.
The first half of the record gives off a very hot and desert-y atmosphere. While not sonically similar to stoner rock, it has a similar feel to it. It's tense, dirty and loud. The opening track, Pray For Rain, kicks things off with a very dry, rolling drum beat and moody piano keys as Tunde Adimpe's slow and somewhat prayer-like vocals chant about 'praying for rain'. This prayer is seemingly answered by a section with much more saturated 'plink-plonk' synths and ethereal backing vocals in the middle of the track before returning to the moodier drums and piano section to pray once more. This is followed by the glitchy and dancy Babel. The track has a real propulsion to it, and also has a real juxtaposition between Martina Topley-Bird's very smooth and gentle vocals against the harsh and industrial beat. The descending melody of the hook lodges itself into your brain.
Perhaps my favourite track on the record is Girl I love You, a massive sounding tune that leans into the bands dubby side and also a bit of dancehall. The track builds off this rumbling guitar line, with the tension rising until these fat, distorted horns blindside the song and the whole track just explodes in colour. It sounds like stumbling upon a secret carnival in the middle of the desert. Horace Andy kills in on the vocals, sounding so dramatic yet keeping his cool. Towards the end of the track the horns disintegrate into a frenzy, leaving the impression that this carnival of colour might just have been an illusion, a mirage. Following this, Martina returns for the hypnotic Psyche. The track is built off a super simple, super short acoustic guitar loop and the multi-tracked vocals add to the delirium.
However from this point onward the hot desert-y atmosphere starts to boil over into heatstroke. Everything becomes a bit dour, but not in a good way. Guy Garvey is a magnificent vocalist, but he was not the right fit for the incredibly ridged and skittery beat of Flat Of The Blade. He tries his best to sound rough and gritty, but it just doesn't work. Rush Minute is honestly pretty forgettable and Saturday Come Slow is probably the most dour the record gets. Damon Albarn's performance comes across bitter and sour, as opposed to the dreamy and wistful performances he tends to give on Gorillaz' work. I see why Paradise Circus is the most played track on Spotify, it's the only track that comes close to the elegance of the likes of Unfinished Sympathy and Teardrop. However for me, the repeated piano motif is so short and simple it starts to get a bit annoying. It becomes less of a problem towards the end of the track as the song becomes less reliant on it and some soothing strings pop into the mix, but at this point it feels a little to little, a little too late.
The record does bring back some of the intensity and colour for the closer, Atlas Air. This 8 minute tune grows out of a repeated drum loop and some spooky, psychedelic synthesisers. It's simple but groovy and enticing. The synths become darker and more distorted as the track progresses like it's swirling out of control. It's a shame the record looses all momentum before this point because it is a pretty strong closer.
Heligoland is a bit odd within Massive Attack's discography, because it's the only one that isn't consistent. It has some of the group's best songs, and also some of their weakest. However the highs of this record do make me feel like I'd throw it on more than I would 100th Window, and none of the lows are particularly bad, it's just a shame they all come in the second half. It makes the album seem quite lopsided.
Top Tracks: Pray For Rain, Babel, Girl I Love You, Psyche, Atlas Air
7/10
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