One word comes to mind when describing the artist known as Tricky: versatile. Ever since departing Massive Attack, one of the founding groups of the European trip-hop movement, Tricky has worked to move beyond the confinement of the trip-hop label. "Mission Accomplished," certainly accomplishes that feat, but unfortunately sacrifices the clarity and continuity of his previous work.
"Mission Accomplished" is a four-track record comprised of four very different songs. The title track is an innovative remake of the "Mission: Impossible" theme, which incorporates an inexplicably unrelated Peter Gabriel sample into the soundscape. Tricky's trademark raspy vocals scratch against the heavy guitars, a nod to rock unparalleled in his previous work. The production of the piece is brilliant, with an edgy, sharply syncopated drum and bass line that is undoubtedly among the best he has ever produced.
Tricky, however, seems strangely out of his element when he performs the piece: His contrastive, menacing lyrics fail to compliment the drum-and-bass loop, mostly as a result of the heavy emphasis on the guitars. Perhaps this song serves as a metaphor for the entire EP: an ingenious work that fails to gel together.
The second song on the album, "Crazy Claws," spins in another direction, introducing a subject generally absent in Tricky's past work: blatant sensuality. This track is more lyrically fluid than "Mission" but lacks the originality of the previous track.
"Crazy Claws" also fails to maintain the intensity of "Mission," but this is not to the album's disadvantage - the comparatively mindless background jungle loop allows the listener to focus on the lyrical prowess. Fellow techno artist Mad Dog contributes to the track with nicely executed vocals.
Nothing, however, can compare to "Tricky versus Lynx," the only live track on the EP. The vocals are the most intricate that the EP has to offer and are particularly intriguing. The track sounds remarkably like a studio recording, attesting to Tricky's raw talent. This song brings out the obvious hip-hop influence on his work, although one cannot go as far to classify the song as a hip-hop piece.
The EP closes with "Divine Comedy," a horribly bitter piece with no particular musical value. The song is clearly a reference to Tricky's dispute with his previous record label, Polygram. Jammed with expletives, aggression and even threats, the track is a remix of a previous bootleg track, "Money Greedy," another anti-corporate anthem.
The song, however, is difficult to listen to and fails to summon any kind of emotion akin to Tricky's own anger. Imagine looking out of your car window as you drive by the scene of an accident - that's the closest comparison a listener can make to the experience of this song.
As a whole, "Mission Accomplished" is a fascinating work that simply fails to meet its full potential. Intended as a precursor to an LP soon to be released, it succeeds in whetting one's appetite for more of what Tricky has to offer, but perhaps only does so out of sheer curiosity.
With this EP, Tricky surpasses 1998's lackluster "For Real" but does not quite compare to his exceptional, critically acclaimed 1995 debut, the obtusely titled "Maxinquaye." Admittedly, it is difficult to compare albums by an artist with the artistic range Tricky possesses, but by exchanging innovation for artistry, Tricky seems to be having a difficult time retaining the level of mastery on which he previously had a firm hold. Hopefully, Tricky's next full-length LP will find him back on track.
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