The Bristol collective known as Massive Attack arose out of the acid house scene of late-1980s England to become one of the 1990s' greatest innovators. The group has changed the face of music every time out. They invented "trip-hop" on their debut, BLUE LINES, and then moved dance music toward a fusion where genres like dub, soul, ambient, and electronica merge so completely that categories cease to matter.
The third full-length release from Massive Attack is a taste of the future of pop music--a future where precisely engineered events can be seamlessly partnered with the subtle complexities of a human voice. Since their first album, Blue Lines, they've been making similar magic happen with any one of several guest vocalists, but nothing like the way it happens on Mezzanine. This time they take the union further, moving it into a darker space in which the individual elements become less discernable. Guest vocalists are Sara Jay, Horace Andy (who also appeared on their debut), and Elizabeth Fraser (of Cocteau Twins), whose amazingly articulate and distinctive voice works so very well with the music of Massive Attack. --Paul Clark
If You Enjoy "Mezzanine (CD)", May We Also Recommend:
There only exists a handful of downtempo, experimental groups that can drop an
album and still carry lasting power for years to come. Massive Attack is one of
those groups. Mezzanine may also come a close second to one of their best works.