Anything [Digipak] (CD - 2004)

Anything, the U.S. version of Martina Topley-Bird's heavenly Quixotic debut album, arrived as something of a mixed blessing as the original U.K. pressing was utterly redesigned and resequenced, to emerge an almost completely different listening experience. The bad news first: no less than three songs have been dropped from Quixotic -- "Lying," "I Wanna Be There," and, oddly, the Tricky production, "Stevie's." The original dynamic, too, has been shattered as the original album's opening "Intro" becomes the closing "Outro," and the remaining songs are shuffled away from any resemblance to their past appearance. The good news, however, is that all this messing around works, and works well. Without ever accusing Quixotic of going on too long, trimming its length does add a new tightness to the proceedings, and the rearranged track listing (opening with "Anything," winding down with "Lullaby") has its own internal sense as well. Of course, if you really care for Topley-Bird, you're going to want the full-length U.K. album. But if you just want a great album, Anything will not disappoint. ~ Dave Thompson

Best known for her guest appearances on Tricky's first three solo albums, Martina Topley-Bird owes much to the trip-hop movement, yet is not defined by it. Originally released in the UK to much critical acclaim under the title QUIXOTIC, ANYTHING is a pared-down, re-sequenced version of that original album, and serves as the US introduction to Topley-Bird's postmodern, electronica-infused soul music.

Sophisticated, unpredictable, and intense, Topley-Bird veers between rock ("Need One"), ragga-rap ("Ragga"), atmospheric ballads ("Sandpaper Kisses"), and piercing pleas of emotional intensity (the spectacular title track), all unified by a keen sense of stylistic focus. Topley-Bird's sultry voice, at once understated and sharp as a tack, is equally at home with classic soul styling ("Soul Food"), and on edgier material ("Too Tough to Die"). Like the best of Britain's digital-era soul, ANYTHING is rhythmically driven, but ethereal, combining the otherworldliness of electronic soundscapes with a vocabulary informed by hip-hop, experimental music, and pop. Topley-Bird takes this recipe one step further here, and promises--if her debut is any indication--to take it even further in the future. minimize