Tricky - Maxinquaye
A review of Maxinquaye, the dark, seedy 1995 debut from Massive Attack founding member Tricky.
Artist: Tricky · Year: 1995 · Rating: ★★★★½
Maxinquaye is a classic trip-hop staple; r/triphop rates it as #9 on its list of top 10 trip-hop albums. Tricky was a founding member of Massive Attack, but left during the creation of Mezzanine. Instead, we get his debut: a darker, seedier affair about sex, drugs, and Tricky’s mom (nope, not unpacking that one).
What resulted is a gripping piece of wax: the vocals of Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird are often at war with each other, weaving into and out of the background (and rewarding multiple listens). Many of the early tracks in particular also flow fairly smoothly into one another without resorting to cheap crossfades, making an end-to-end album listen a strong approach to consuming the material.
Standouts
A few particular standouts merit a mention. For starters, track four (Hell Is Round the Corner) will sound extra familiar to Portishead fans; both this and Glory Box sampled Isaac Hayes’ “Ike’s Rap II” for the backing track. Tricky takes the lead while Topley-Bird does breathy secondary lines behind him. “Until then — you have to live yourself. Until then, you have to live with yourself.” The song doesn’t take a traditional chorus feel, instead relying on breaks in the beat, vocalist handoffs, and targeted silence to give the song structure.
“Abbaon Fat Tracks” leads the B-side, if you’re listening on vinyl. It’s a thrilling listen, but dark: the lyrics are drugs and intimate experiences cheapened. It’s erotic, but not actually positive, instead leaning…nihilistic? At the same time, you can’t help but be hooked; the song is addiction sans repentance.
Feed Me
Much of the album follows that trend, really: by the time you hit the Monkey Radio track, Feed Me (a polished track that’s easy to listen to), you know what you’re buying here.
Feed me when I'm hungry, drink me 'til I'm dry
The dream of yesterday becomes another lie
You feed me lies, distortion, the English disaster
No one's free, one love for one master
The verdict
The album isn’t without its missteps: Black Steel’s 90s-rock chorus feels out of place, and Brand New You’re Retro is a repetitive but brief break in the flow. Some may also find the minimalist found-sample “Strugglin’” a little over-experimental. None of these change the fact that this is an incredible album that belongs in any genre enthusiast’s collection. It’s not a happy listen, but we’re all better for hearing it, and it’s an experience you’ll find yourself wanting to hear again.
Monkey Radio Tracks: 1/12
- Tricky - Feed Me
