Ununiform

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Ununiform is the thirteenth studio album by English trip-hop artist Tricky. It was released by False Idols on 22 September 2017. The album runs 41 minutes and 23 seconds and was recorded in Berlin, Germany.

Conceived while Tricky was in Moscow, Ununiform features a wide range of guest vocalists, including Russian rapper Smoky Mo, American singers, his longtime collaborator Francesca Belmonte, and Tricky’s former girlfriend Martina Topley-Bird. The project also includes a cover of Hole’s “Doll Parts” with Avalon Lurks. Jay-Z co-engineered the album.

Musically, the record blends trip-hop with guitar-based tracks. It contains a mix of dark, atmospheric pieces and more guitar-driven songs.

Three singles were released ahead of the album: “The Only Way,” “When We Die,” and “Running Wild.” An alternate version of “The Only Way” appeared on Tricky’s SoundCloud and was issued as a single in 2018; this version was included on physical copies of Ununiform but was not listed on the back cover.

The album was generally well received by critics. Metacritic gave it an average score of 71 out of 100 based on 12 reviews. The Observer’s Kitty Empire gave it 4 out of 5 stars, praising the duet “New Stole.” Pitchfork gave it 5.1 out of 10. Reviews compared it to Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson and The xx’s Coexist. All tracks were written by Tricky, unless noted.