Since the release of his debut, Maxinquaye, Tricky fans have wondered when he would or could match the nightmarish splendor of that trip-hop masterpiece. Blowback may not entirely appease the Tricky faithful, but it is the Bristol innovator's most satisfying album in a while. With Maxinquaye's surreal sonics lurking around its edges, Blowback is wonderfully schizophrenic, cavorting through robotically muted ragga, surging funk rock, nauseous, sample-mangled ballads, and bizarre versions of songs like the 1930s standard "Your Name" and Nirvana's "Something in the Way." In fact, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morrisette, Cyndi Lauper, and Live's Ed Kowalcyzk along for the ride, Blowback is Tricky's Tommy, delivered through the mouths and muscles of the stars.

Blowback blows up with the arena-rock anthem "Evolution Revolution Love," featuring Kowalcyzk's familiar croon, while Tricky sings backup in a maniacal murmur. The ragga songs, which are dank and claustrophobic, are upended by the queasy flash metal of "Bury the Evidence." Finally, the trudging programming and Japanese vocals on "A Song for Yukiko" make an enigmatic gurgle that sums up Tricky's beautiful, bewildering creation. --Ken Micallef