Massive Attack
Splitting The Atom (EP)

For the series: every now and then they return, but without haste.

They left us with the cold and captivating atmospheres of "100^thWindow"; today, Massive Attack returns with the hypnotic, warm beat of "Splitting The Atom," the opening track of the eponymous EP that previews the new album of the Bristol band. A composition halfway between nostalgia (the atmospheres of the early albums are just around the corner) and novelty (the circular structure of the piece, which repeats itself to the limits of obsessiveness), "Splitting The Atom" is dominated by smoky and dark voices (respectively those of 3D, Daddy G, and the old shaman Horace Andy), dub and reggae impulses, with hypnotic rhythms and liquid keyboards chiseling it all. A very particular return to the roots; a sound as familiar as it is disorienting, a blend capable of reassuring, yet at the same time astonishing.

"Pray For Rain" has the merit of further muddying the waters: on an elegant intertwining of percussion, piano, and keyboards stands the voice of Tumbe Adebimpe, creating a slightly noir atmosphere; an atmosphere "skillfully" tainted by the nasal vocal timbre of the TV On The Radio vocalist. The rhythmic progression is atypical, but perfectly fits the dark sounds of the track that starts off slyly before opening up, only to coil back upon itself, fading slowly.

The next two tracks are remixes of songs that will be featured in different versions on the forthcoming CD. The first is "Psyche", sinuous and muffled, playing a lot on the contrast between a decidedly marked musical base in rhythmic cadence and the soft and warm vocal interpretation of Martina Topley-Bird. The second is "Bulletproof Love", sung by Guy Garvey (Elbow): a grand exercise in style by the English duo, perfect in creating a rhythmic carpet with a vague dub flavor, with Garvey's acidic and narcotic voice murmuring dazedly, making the soundscape increasingly dark and claustrophobic.

Emerging from the discographic silence of the last seven years, Massive Attack prove to be still alive and well and, more importantly, still have something to say. But for them, haste will always be a bad advisor, you can bet on it.