Marta and Tricky - When It's Going Wrong (2023)

Polish vocalist Marta Złakowska teams up with Tricky on her debut album, tenderly purring over the Bristolian legend's brittle, dusted backdrops and giving us flashbacks to the Nearly God era. Back in 2017, Złakowska ran into Tricky who promptly invited the singer to join his band. Not long later they began work on her debut album, developing nine songs over a lengthy period of experimentation as the two figured out a way to play to each other's strengths. Honestly it's the deepest material we've heard from Tricky in ages - he's always been at ease working with talented, soulful vocalists and with Złakowska he's found a new muse. 'Today' isn't too far from his gravelly work on 'Pre-Millennium Tension' and 'Nearly God', with jerky beatbox bumps, casual analog synthwork and sampled strings standing a few paces from Złakowska's sultry, cabaret soul vocals. 'When It's Going Wrong' is more like a slowed down 'Black Steel' beat, but Złakowska doesn't attempt to mimic Martina Toppley-Bird - her clear, jazzy tones fill the room with mist, not cigarette smoke. 'Nowhere' is even more theatrical, Tricky's accompaniment is restrained and drumless, with double bass plucks and baroque violins guiding Złakowska's vocals. Even when Tricky edges away from the downtempo extended universe, like on the electro-pop inspired 'Swimming Away', his inherent weirdness prevents the music from taking a simple path. Złakowska's vocal is warm and inviting, and early on it's not too dissimilar from The Knife, but deranged, druggy synths and backup vocals from Tricky make it more Lynch than A24.

Tracklist:
1 01. Marta - Intro (01:17)
1 02. Marta - Today (02:48)
1 03. Marta - When It's Going Wrong (01:53)
1 04. Marta - Nowhere (01:53)
1 05. Marta - Think Of You (02:17)
1 06. Marta - Moving Through Water (01:53)
1 07. Marta - Swimming Away (02:42)
1 08. Marta - Walking (02:04)
1 09. Marta - Czarno Czarny (02:21)