TRICKY VULNERABLE ALBUM ANTI, MNW RELEASE: MAY 21, 2003 REVIEW: MAY 13, 2003

OK, hold on to your seats: Tricky’s back - and this time he’s happy! Living in LA since a while back, the gloomy and moody Briton has found a sunny refuge from the rain and the fog that made him wanna stay inside and… (hmm, well we all know what substances Tricky Kid is known for indulging in). I don’t know what he’s doing know, but judging from most tracks on "Vulnerable" it’s stuff that makes him wanna speed things up a little - as heard on frenzied and guitar driven "Where I’m From", poppy first single "Anti-Matter" and "Moody". The tripped out and darker Tricky is of course in here too, for instance on kick ass flow-away song "Stay" and so is the Tricky who likes weird cover versions - just listen to his rendition of The Cure’s "Love Cats" - cool, but not really necessary.
The question is, do we want Tricky to be happy and vulnerable? I, for one part, have always thought that he was at his best when down, out and filled with pre-millennium tension. The ones that liked "Maxinquaye" best will be pleased with "Vulnerable" though, as songs like "Dear God" with stunning vocals from ever present - and great! - new Italian singer Costanza Francavilla really makes heads nod automatically and is suited for any trendy PR-office. By the way, she is a Tricky fan who gave him a demo in Rome and look where it took her.
The true answer is that it actually doesn’t matter if Tricky makes happy or gloomy music - as long as he keeps on evolving and is consistent. "Vulnerable" is a good album, but it wants to go in too many directions at once and sadly, quite a few of them are backwards.

KALLE MALMSTEDT