ununiform

It seems he's at peace with trip-hop and his legacy. However, the punky "Dark Days" with Mina Rose and a minimal take on Hole's "Doll Parts" with singer Avalon Lurks suggests he remains restless for what might be over the next smoky horizon.

Throughout, Tricky creates a claustrophobic world full of stark bass lines, pop digressions and slinky Bristol moments; his duet with Francesca Belmonte, New Stole, is particularly moreish.

The most Tricky-like he's sounded in years.

Ununiform finds Tricky blending his Guyanese influences together with R&B, reggae, house, and Russian hip-hop, creating an experience that transcends most contemporary listening experiences.

There's no question that this is art. But not all art is meant to be appreciated, nor is it necessarily accessible. If nowhere else, Ununiform definitely belongs in that latter category.

While it’s a long way from the heights he once reached, ununiform carries more promise than Tricky has shown in some time.

Tricky effectively goes missing as sultry vocal proxies Avalon Lurks, Mina Rose and Terra Lopez takes the weight, before beautifully briny closer When We Die, with original foil Martina Topley-Bird, reminds us of his peculiar strengths.

Ununiform will slow your heart rate right down while making the hair on the back of your neck stand tall.

On his 13th studio album, Tricky translates newfound contentment into songs that fail to live up to the risk-taking example of his early work.

Ununiform is an uneven album at best, showing that Tricky isn't bereft of ideas but was lacking the fire to properly flesh them out.

Ununiform is an album with much promise, but rarely comes close to reaching its full potential.