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FaithlessNo Roots Cheeky/BMG 'No Roots' is something of a departure from 2002's 'Outrospective,' but switching styles between releases is something of a habit for Rollo and Co. There are no anthemic club tracks this time round, no blissful 12 minute trance mixes, and though there's a catchy lead single with Maxi Jazz's words of wisdom, the upbeat clash of sounds in the P*Nut & Sister Bliss mix of Mass Destruction doesn't reflect the content of an album that is, well, reflective. More representative is the album's intro, a brooding electronic soundscape underneath the mantra "no roots, no trees / no family, no me." The original Mass Destruction resembles Bring My Family Back with its minimalism, but despite the politically charged chorus ("whether Halliburton, Enron or anyone / Greed is a weapon of mass destruction") the verses tell the story of his father leaving the family and his own personal struggles. Maxi's lyrics are responsible for much of the power in Faithless' music, but it is the tracks that he is absent from that define the direction that each Faithless record takes. Newcomer LSK is a smooth vocalist with a sometimes stuttering delivery halfway between spoken word and song, fitting well with the more organic sound of this album. I Want More is divided into two parts that sum up Faithless past and present; part 1 is very naturally stripped-back, allowing LSK to deliver his hearfelt lyrics without distraction, but it's not what many Faithless fans have been waiting for. That's where part 2 comes in: an electronic club track based around a brief snatch of LSK's vocals that leaves just enough space for Maxi to deliver a brief poem as the track reaches its apex. Perfection. Bluegrass harks back to the days when Jamie Catto was still a member: a simple acoustic guitar with the slightest touch from Rollo behind the boards. Sweep is an instrumental of Latin percussion overlayed with sweeping strings and keyboards before mixing seamlessly into the album's highlight Miss U Less, See U More: Rollo provides a sonic backdrop that stays upbeat while still holding something back, Sister Bliss plays to perfection, Maxi delivers several down-to-earth verses and LSK provides the plaintive, understated chorus. It's not quite the album I hoped for, but it's one that will fit perfectly into Faithless' ever-evolving discography. Oh yeah, and the entire thing's written in the key of C, which is kind of neat, too.  |
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