Ununiform | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 22 September 2017 | |||
Recorded | Berlin, Germany | |||
Length | 41:23 | |||
Label | False Idols | |||
Tricky chronology | ||||
|
Ununiform[a] is the thirteenth studio album by English trip hop artist Tricky. It was released by False Idols on 22 September 2017.[2][3] Three singles were taken from this album, 'The Only Way', 'When We Die' and 'Running Wild', all of them released before the album.[4] And alternative version of 'The Only Way' was uploaded on Tricky personal Soundcloud account a few weeks after the original, and later released as a single in 2018, this version was also included in the physical releases of the album, but unlisted in the back cover. The album features a variety of guest vocalists, including Russian rappers, American vocalists, his usual collaborator Francesca Belmonte, and Tricky's frequent-collaborator and former girlfriend Martina Topley-Bird.[5][6]
Tricky conceived the album while in Moscow, Russia; it consequently features vocal contributions from Russian rapper Smoky Mo.[1] The album was recorded in Berlin, Germany.[7] The album features a mixture of trip hop-inspired tracks as well as guitar-based tracks,[1] including a cover version of "Doll Parts" by Hole, featuring vocals from Los Angeles-based artist Avalon Lurks.[8] American hip hop artist Jay-Z co-engineered the album.[9]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.3/10[10] |
Metacritic | 71/100[11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Exclaim! | 5/10[12] |
The Irish Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Mojo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Observer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 5.1/10[1] |
PopMatters | 6/10[16] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone Russia | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Uncut | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ununiform received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 12 reviews.[11] Kitty Empire of The Observer gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "Tricky creates a claustrophobic world full of stark bass lines, pop digressions and slinky Bristol moments; his duet with Francesca Belmonte, New Stole, is particularly moreish."[15] Ben Cardew of Pitchfork gave the album 5.1 out of 10 stars, summarising: "ununiform may come nowhere near to the jaw-dropping impact of those early Tricky albums. But buried deep in his 13th studio release, Tricky may just have sown the seeds of a new musical contentment."[1] The album was compared to Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971) and The xx's Coexist (2012).[20]
All tracks are written by Tricky, unless noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Obia Intro" | 1:56 | |
2. | "Same as It Ever Was" (featuring Scriptonite) | 3:46 | |
3. | "New Stole" (featuring Francesca Belmonte) | 3:06 | |
4. | "Wait for Signal" (featuring Asia Argento) | 3:08 | |
5. | "It's Your Day" (featuring Scriptonite) | 2:03 | |
6. | "Blood of My Blood" (featuring Scriptonite) | 3:13 | |
7. | "Dark Days" (featuring Mina Rose) | 2:49 | |
8. | "The Only Way" | 4:51 | |
9. | "Armor" (featuring Terra Lopez) | 2:25 | |
10. | "Doll" (featuring Avalon Lurks[1]) | Courtney Love | 3:06 |
11. | "Bang Boogie" (featuring Smoky Mo and Scriptonite) | 1:18 | |
12. | "Running Wild" (featuring Mina Rose[2]) | 3:37 | |
13. | "When We Die" (featuring Martina Topley-Bird) | 3:43 | |
Total length: | 41:23 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "The Only Way" (Stripped Down Tricky Mix) | 4:07 |
Note
Musicians[9]
|
Technical
|
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22] | 114 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[23] | 52 |
French Albums (SNEP)[24] | 74 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] | 47 |