When British hip-hop renaissance man Tricky opened up for PJ Harvey in Detroit last spring, it was interesting to see the throngs of alterna-kids drop their jaws in bafflement, then slo-o-owly begin to groove on Tricky's sample-heavy millennial dread. PJ had made a canny choice of artists to share her stage, but the guitar-addicted masses took a while to warm up to the idea.If this pseudonymous single is any indication of what's to come, young America is going to continue to have trouble "getting" Tricky. The beats are slower than on Tricky's mesmerizing debut album, "Maxinquaye," and the hooks are practically non-existent. This is chilled-out drug music for those scary nights when you're having paranoid delusions of grandeur. You don't have nights like those? Well, neither do I. But now I know what they sound like."I Be the Prophet" is included in two versions, one with drums, one without. Both are equally languid. A strangely compelling cello riff - yes, cello riff - propels the song as first Tricky, then singer Martina, then both sing/rap the words.After a year of media scrutiny, we now know that Tricky and Martina share an infant daughter but no longer share a romantic liaison. That makes the tension of their artistic union even sharper, as they intone such lyrics as "Would you like to/Ride on my train/Or would you like to/Drink from my vein."The b-side, a cover of Depeche Mode's "If You Want My Love," is more clever than compelling. But if the a-side's any indication, the upcoming Nearly God project is going to be one hell of a ride.Brian J. Dillard
|
