The Baby Namboos
Ancoats2zambia (Palm/Durban Poison)
Excluding mainstream fringe dwellers like Portishead or Dot Allison, the problem with most trip-hop is that so much of it is interchangeable. All those dub-heavy, fatter-than-fat, narcoleptic beats sound the same after a while, especially when you’re feeling so … receptive. It takes a keen ear to differentiate between most groups coming in under the trip-hop radar these days, and with the perpetual fluxing tastes on the electronica landscape, those ears are about as scarce as a gallon of Evian in Idaho on 11.31.99.11:59:59. Or maybe we’re all just too blissed to care. Whichever the case, the Baby Namboos up the ante a bit. Signed to Bristol buddy Tricky’s new Durban Poison label, the Nam’s are probably best described as Tricky minus the frothy black rage. Ancoats2zambia is almost swirlpop in its languid, relaxing ebb and flow. It’s probably no coincidence that the CD was released here under the auspices of Chris Blackwell’s Palm Records; the whole Namboos’ vibe is less skittery Bristol unease than fat-hash-brick-sucking Jamaica debauchery. Throughout, there’s a feeling of breaking away from Tricky’s t-hop roots — which is difficult when he’s guesting on three tracks — but not too far. Maxinquaye lite? The Namboos would hate such a comparison, but that doesn’t stop it from being apt. Or a compliment. 
This article appears in January 21 • 2000.