Richest Man In Babylon, The - Thievery Corporation > Reviews > Perfect, luxurious chillout

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it rate alongside the competition	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Original, multi - cultural tunes and exotic interludes
Disadvantages:	Occasionally sounds repetitive, bland product design

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The Thievery Corporation are an electronica duo based in Washington DC, "The Richest Man In Babylon" being their third full-length album. Their music boldly mixes many world music styles - including indian bhangra, brazilian bossa nova and reggae - all presented in a comforting lounge asthetic, perfect for lazy days or relaxing working music.

The duo consists of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, who teamed up in 1995. You have undoubtedly heard many of their tunes, on tv shows, adverts & films (such as Vanilla Sky), and by listening to this album it's not difficult to see why they are so popular. They have evidently immersed themselves in a vast array of foreign cultures, fusing them together with modern elements such as acid jazz and funk, to create soulful & exotic masterpieces. In this way, it's almost impossible for their tracks not to appeal to anyone.

The Richest Man In Babylon is, in my opinion, one of their best offerings. Rolling Stone gave it 4 out of 5 stars, and for me this still doesn't justify how good this album is. It features live instrumentation, and incorporates the diverse voices of various artists from many countries - including Iceland's Emiliana Torrini and various jamaican rappers.

The album is arranged meticulously. It's dreamlike opening track "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" (perfect relaxing music) drifts into more upbeat tracks such as "Meu Destino" and "Liberation Front" (reminiscent of sexy 60's tunes).

Best listened to late in the evening, or on a hazy summer day, the album's main influence is Indian music; exotic traditonal melodies, as well as heavier tribal bhangra. Tracks such as "Facing East", "Interlude" and "Exile" all feature Indian elements, expertly fused with Brazilian singing and South America flutes. These styles are lovely listening, but occasionally repetitive - a couple of the songs sound very similar, but still utlimately satisfying.

Reggae and a more heavy, masculine tone feature heavily in some tracks such as "The Outernationalist", "The Richest Man In Babylon" and "The State of The Union". Widely thought to portray Hilton and Garza's political stance (the Bush Administration for instance), these pieces demonstrate a sophisticated, mature musical ability - sombre trumpets and drum beats, uplifted with some excellent, hard-hitting lyrics.

In contrast to these heavy tracks, there are some beautiful, romantic offerings. "Until the Morning" and "Un Simple Histoire" feature some incredible female voices, and some very sexy jazz rhythms and funky beats. Spoken mostly in french, "Un Simple Histoire" offers us a glimpse into some exotic love story - I really liked the ambiguity of the lyrics, making you eager to know what the foreign words mean.

My only major disappointment with this album is the product design. The cover design is quite bland, and the photo booklet is rather minimalistic. It is evident that alot of work has gone into the graphics, but for me it just doesnt provide the visual equivalent I would expect. Listening to the album takes you on a journey through various cultures and exotic sounds, and I don't feel the product design compliments this.

However, this is a minor opinion. All in all, the Richest Man in Babylon is a superb piece of work. As I have said, it's certainly one of their best albums, and perfectly demonstrates how diverse music styles can be blended carefully into a wonderful medley of sounds. The closing track "Resolution" is perfectly placed, leaving you with a lasting sense of relaxing closure, and a feeling that you really have been immersed in the diverse music our world has to offer.