Different When It's Silent

Tricky’s first solo album since 2020’s <i>Fall to Pieces</i> is a reawakening. <i>Pieces</i> found the trip-hop legend deep in the throes of grief, mourning the loss of his daughter on record. The pain still lingers, but Tricky moves through it with a new sense of purpose on his 2026 effort, <i>Different When It’s Silent</i>. In the intervening years, he released a number of collaborative albums, including a few superlative efforts with his latest muse, Marta, but <i>Different When It’s Silent</i> marks his first solo foray back into the underbelly of his one-of-a-kind aesthetics. The album, which was made with Mitch Sanders, moves between spine-tingling alternative jams (<b>“I’m Yours,”</b>), electro-inspired dance-rock (<b>“So Cold”</b>) and straight-ahead grime on the Radana-assisted <b>“Radana”.</b> Tricky remains as omnivorous in his musical appetite as ever, proving himself to not only be a Jack of all trades, but also a master of every style he brings into this universe. <b>Our Favourite Track:</b> The lo-fi Elliott Smith styling of penultimate song <b>“Hengrove Blues”.</b>