CD Review

100th Window, the follow up to 1998's stunning and commercially successful Mezzanine (think Victoria's Secret), is another lush box of velvety beats, haunting vocals and chocolate-covered sounds that allow the listener to open their Pandora's box. Sinead O'Connor adds another layer to the ethereal scape in the same vein as Elizabeth Fraser on Mezzanine. Her vocals allow the overall sound (and sensuality) to deepen and expand, especially on the track "Special Cases." Middle Eastern and outer-space like undertones run through "Future Proof" and "Butterfly" while "Antistar" intertwines them in a sort of epic effort at intoxication.

While 100th Window lacks the harder and perhaps more innovative sound of Mezzanine, its lack of vanity distinguishes itself. Massive Attack seems to be exploring more of the psychedelic side to their music. Unlike their peers, they command the use of sound to the point that it becomes a tangible emotion-controlling machine rather than noise with a good beat. They aren't just trying to get people to move - they want them to feel the movement. 100th Window proves they still have the ability to control an entire room's atmosphere - in a quietly manipulative sort of way.