SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TRICKY – DIFFERENT WHEN IT’S SILENT

TRICKY
DIFFERENT WHEN IT’S SILENT
FALSE IDOLS

Different When It’s Silent is Tricky’s 15th studio album and first full-length release under his own name in six years, since 2020’s Fall To Pieces. He did release Fifteen Days (as Theis Thaws) in 2024 and a lot of other music under different names, but Different When It’s Silent is an album by Tricky. Mitch Sanders is featured on the album, and the combination of the two creates a distinct, unique, and extremely moving/emotional sound. But make no mistake, this is Tricky’s album. Perhaps not as chill and electronic as in the past, but strong playing, melodies and very personal lyrics take the stage.

The album opens with “I Still See Me There,” featuring heavy strumming guitars and a hard beat. The song morphs into dark sadness. Tricky’s vocals with Sanders creates a very unnerving affect that highlights the loss being expressed in the song. The spirit lifts with the mightier “I’m Yours”, but underlying the happy sentiment is a heavy grinding soundtrack that points the song in another direction.

The album ends with “Out Of Place,” one of the few songs that does not feature Sanders, but rather lets Tricky do his thing, with vocal help from previous collaborator Marta. The song, about the loss of his daughter, is a very realistic look at dealing with the extreme loss. It is full of energy and pain. The layered sounds seep into the mind and Tricky expresses anger and sadness. And that pretty much sums up the album. Loss is not just sadness, there is a lot of anger buried in the emotions as well, as Tricky is not afraid to not only face it but express it.

This is an incredible album. Tricky uses music like an artist uses paint. He creates the perfect soundtrack that conveys a great deal without the need of words. His ability to use sound is quite remarkable and the end result is an album that stays with the listener long after the needle lifts off the record. Although he has been busy, this is a brilliant return for Tricky, and it reminds one of just how much his music and art is needed today.

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