by: Sun-J
Eric Hilton and Rob Garza musically are the most English sounding Americans in the world. And collectively as a group, they are known as Thievery Corporation, a melodic meets trance, fused with electronic sounding duo. What sets them apart from the rest of the pack on this album, is their leap passed the normal electronic underground, stay-up-all-night-and-party sound into a garden full of variety; namely jazz, bossa nova ("Meu Destino") and a bit of Jamaican soul. The Richest Man in Babylon is an album that covers new ground, and includes a slew of guest appearances. On "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes," a Bjork sounding singer, Emiliana Torrini trudges through a jazzy, mellow beat at a heart breaking pace and sound. The next track "Facing East," clearly is the standout. Complete with a far eastern sounding bounce line, Pamela Bricker (who is no stranger to the TC microphone) provides some provocative vocals. On the title track, Notch takes a page out of Horace Andy's book with an impersonation to remember. The climax of the album occurs when Patrick De Santos and Verny Varela take over vocally on tracks "Meu Destino," and "Exilio." Shinehead provides a powerful performance on the George W. Bush dedication track "State of the Union." Thievery Corporation shows tremendous progression from Mirror Conspiracy and Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi. The album may not be a classic, but sure has potential.
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