The zinging bass kickstarting this song gives some clue about what’s to follow. The bassline is indeed hefty but, as it soon turns out, this is actually a laid-back piece, a head-bobber and slightly melancholic low-rider. The sparse instrumentation acts as an enhancer for sinuous synths, scattered percussion and that awesome sax towards the end.
Built almost entirely out of sounds from the past, this song is a master class in the art of sampling. Around a dozen instruments and some three layers of vocals dance together these 5 minutes. And no matter how good trumpets are at stealing the show, each instrument gets its time playing the membrane.
As a form of art, music shines through how it allows the harmonious fusion of decades worth of creation into a single new work. In the hands of a great composer, all sounds make friends and it all ends up sounding fantastic!
Note: the remix of the song is also awesome. Seek it out.
Melancholy and happiness are dancing together. This melody achieves an exquisite balance between joy and sadness when it comes to both the instrumentals and the vocals. The lyrics, though, tip the scales in favor of melancholy.
This tinkling gem shines with some of the most beautiful lyrics about love I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The music itself is curiously at odds with the message and the evocative voice sculpting it into the soundwaves. But weirdness is the hallmark of the greatest works of art…
A song of contrast and surrender, of great power and intricate delicacy. There’s a certain something that radiates from a well-sung duet. It’s more than just symmetry, more than pleasing for the ear, more than food for the soul and mind. But then again, all music radiates certain somethings other than soundwaves…
Despite the rock-solid beat, this piece is all about atmosphere, distortions, samples and clever orchestration. And despite all the bad news that the song brings, ears couldn’t be happier with such an action-packed ride.
This is one of the songs that a lot of people can recognize from the first second. Yes, from the very first, single second. The percussion is nothing if not iconic. For the few that won’t recognize the song at first listen (or simply don’t know it) the percussion doesn’t hint much at the sweetness that will soon follow. But the listener won’t have to wait long until her soothing, beautiful, vulnerable, angelic voice can be heard. The melody flows steadily as she tells us words of love, words of courage, words of wisdom.
It’s one of Massive Attack’s most popular hits, and for good reason. It comes from Mezzanine, one of my all-time favorite albums and also one of the band’s most popular (again, for good reason).
It’s difficult to make contemporary music work well with symphonic arrangements, but these guys pulled it off quite beautifully on this song. The orchestra is diverse, but used sparingly, increasing its charm and effect. Kelli Dayton’s voice is a pleasure to wrap the ear in. It’s quite hard to believe this song is already 20 years old.
