Tricky was a fool. The genre-bending
trip-hopster made some of his best albums
(Maxinquaye) when he collaborated with London
chanteuse Martina Topley-Bird, but he foolishly let her
go. Thank goodness Topley-Bird has moved on to make
her own unique music, showcasing her gorgeously odd-
and-scritchy R&B voice. Dubbed "the black Dietrich of
soul" by the press, her debut solo album Anything
i> has enough fascinating and unique beats to lure her
fans back. Originally released in the United Kingdom
under the title Quixotic, the album was
redesigned, renamed and reassembled for the American
release.
At once intimate and noncommittal, the opening track
("Anything") is a slow love song featuring her sexy
morning-gravelly vocals. "Ragga," which she co-wrote
with Tricky, recaptures some of that old magic with a
grinding mix of jungle and ambient beats. Her best bet
for radio play will probably be the relatively bright "Need
One," but the deceptively sparse "Ilya" remains a favorite,
with almost Björk-like trippiness.