Tricky - False Idols - New White 2LP

Format: New White 2LP Label: False Idols Cat. No. K7308LPC  Barcode: 730003730832 Released: 17/02/2023

Tricky is back. Back with a new studio album, False Idols, and his own label (also bearing the False Idols name). There is no doubt that False Idols stands as his most accomplished album since his earliest works. It opens with a cover of a Van Morrison song, 'Somebody's Sins,' which sees Tricky and vocalist Fran Belmonte whispering "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine" over a sparse groaning bass. The lead single 'Parenthesis,' which features a vocals from Peter Silberman of The Antlers, has more rhythmic grunt, which gives a different dimension to the dark gothic atmosphere that pervades the record. No-one does this kind of thing better. The spirit of Tricky's '90s output looms large over False Idols. There are times when his entire career has seemed like a stubborn refusal to be defined by its success or sound. He has finally come to terms with it, even learned to embrace it. The resemblance to Maxinquaye is undeniable, though the material on False Idols is gentler; more mature. Many of the songs on False Idols feature artists signed to Tricky's new label, including 24-year Londoner Francesca Belmonte and Fifi Rong. The album also includes collaborations with Nigeria's new global star Nneka and the afore-mentioned Peter Silberman.