No Roots

Not that it was a valid argument before, but with the release of No Roots you can't say "every Faithless album sounds the same" any longer. The 15 tracks are broken into two suites — seven tracks each — with a remix of "Mass Destruction" tacked onto the end. Both suites focus on love: love of people, love of humanity, love of peace. There's plenty of conviction, plenty of message, and very little for the club. Headphone-friendly, the album is the best showcase yet for Rollo and Sister Bliss (the musical half of Faithless), as the music (all in the key of C by the way) is stunning. Polished and purposeful, the tunes glide one to the next effortlessly, making this the most thought-out Faithless album yet. Mood is the thing and as a result only a few tracks — "Mass Destruction," "I Want You More, Pt. 2," "Miss U Less, See U More" — stand out on their own. But if the album isn't as powerful as one would have hoped, it's very personal. It's a good move since everybody knows the band can churn out a fluffy banger like "Insomnia" anytime they want; now the band's zealous fans finally make sense to an outsider. The album is for the fans, and maybe newcomers with patience and a penchant for wandering introspection. New vocalist LSK's cool reggae toasting mixes well with Maxi Jazz's conversational style, and "You ain't going to nirvana — or far-vana" is the only lyric that'll cause cringes. More than a placeholder, No Roots is a satisfying album that's like the kid on the cover. It's lovable but requires attention and commitment.