Massive Attack never was intended to be an electronic act.
A product of the burgeoning hip-hop scene in late 1980s Bristol, Massive Attack crafted its debut, "Blue Lines," with intentions of sending hip-hop on a more layered and more down-tempo, albeit less danceable course. Instead, the album was branded with the generic label of "trip-hop," an unfortunate pigeonhole that nevertheless spawned a legion of followers who became progressively more electronic as the 1990s wore on -- a trend that Massive Attack eventually adhered to.
Continuing this disheartening drift is "100th Window," a creation that both maintains the distinctive sound that only a prolific band can preserve while still evolving, and yet deviates sharply from their earlier work. Massive Attack now is so immersed in electronica that it goes so far as to foray into ambient, rendering it hip-hop origins nearly indiscernible and lowering the entire caliber of the album.
Curiously enough, all that is left of the original Massive Attack is Robert Del Naja, aka 3D, who was most visible on past albums for his rapping and vocals. Although he played a key part in creating the more sonic atmosphere on its previous album, "Mezzanine," which eventually resulted in the loss of band member Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles, "Window" represents a very significant change in 3D.
Gone is the hip-hop flavor and swagger that marked some of their best-known tracks, exemplified by "Karmacoma." "Karmacoma" could not appear on this album by virtue of the fact that it is, by comparisin, far too innovative. 3D certainly had the resources, ability and newfound freedom to capitalize on the progressive and intense style that defined his band, but he instead ventures precariously away from what he does best.
Particularly indicative of this more conservative trend is "Antistar," the album's climax. Running just over eight minutes long, the track is a pompous amalgamation of Eastern-inspired strings fused with a synth line reminiscent of the "Mission Impossible" theme. It's a nervous combination that puts off the listener and fails to resonate as anything original, leaving a poor taste about the album in general.
The collaborators, however, ultimately pull "Window" from what would have otherwise been its demise into mediocrity. Horace Andy consistently is brilliant, as he has been on Massive Attack albums of the past, but the most salient addition is Sinead O'Connor. O'Connor's striking vocal clarity and eerie intensity cast a shadow over past Massive vocalists, even Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins) and Tracy Thorn (Everything but the Girl).Although the indecipherable nature of Fraser's lyrics certainly add to the ambiance of "Mezzanine," O'Connor maintains the sense of mystery in her own right.
An overriding problem, however, is the fact that the signature female vocalist has become rather formulaic. Each of O'Connor's contributions evokes "Teardrop" off "Mezzanine," which had echoed tracks from "Blue Lines" and "Protection" before it. "What Your Soul Sings" most notably falls into this trap. It remains as enchanting and delicate as "Teardrop" and distinctively Massive Attack, but not nearly as fresh as it was five years ago.
Putting the album's faults aside, there are certainly standout tracks. "Small Time Shot Away," featuring Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, is a slightly more upbeat offering with superior construction that pushes 3D's vocals to a new standard while balancing them with a striking, somehow celestial background. "Butterfly Caught" emanates energy and captures the intensity of the band's finest work, layering it over a dense line that draws intriguingly close to funk.
Although "Window" may not have the genre-defining dynamism of the rest of the Massive Attack catalogue, the fact remains that even at its weakest, Massive Attack remains among the best in its self-created niche of the electronic world. "Window" would constitute an amply promising work from an up-and-coming band, but as is it stands as a solid album simply reduced in merit by the lingering question of what might have been.
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