Thievery Corporation – Culture Of Fear

This album - culture of fear - is amazing! Fantastic pressing!

The Thievery Corporation have been at this a long time, and their album CULTURE OF FEAR, shows all their trademarks, along with some new elements, like the 70s funk of "Web of Deception" or the hip-hop of the title track (accompanied by their famed horn section, of course). But they've softened their edges a bit, leaning into the delicate trip-hop of "Take My Soul" and "Light Flares" or the dreamy psychedelia of "Where It All Starts." "Tower Seven" -- the longest track on the album -- hews instrumental and sounds more meditative, even with its brief electric guitar lick, than their more more recent albums. Their famed love of dub appears on "Is It Over?," adding to the feeling of suspension, and becomes much more straightforward with "False Flag Dub" and "Overstand." The French vocals from LouLou on "Safar (The Journey)" harken back to similar tracks in the past, but it's only a brief flashback. Instead, we get the guitar haze of "Fragments" and the languorous beats of "Free." An easier, breezier album than its title would suggest.

Decent repress quality, not fantastic but not bad either. Worth getting at a reasonable price.

My D side was pressed off centre, such that the pitch is unsteady across the whole side. Highlights for me are A2, B1, B2, C3.

unfortunately my copy was enclosed with two copies of side C/D, missing the A/B record. anyone else?

Good music, certainly. But it's almost identical to the stuff they were making ten years ago.