Anything

Fans of the British trip-hop pioneer Tricky will recognize the voice if perhaps not the name. Martina Topley-Bird's soulful vocals lent a seductive touch to the dark soundscapes on Tricky's first three albums, but it's clear from her solo debut that she's more than just a good singer. She's also a damn good songwriter. "Ragga" and "Ilya" carry distinct echoes of her past ventures, driven as they are by muffled beats and guest rasps from Tricky himself. "Need One" is more of a departure: Big, strident rock-guitar riffs (courtesy of Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme) work well as a rough counterpoint to Martina's silky coos. The standout track is "Too Tough to Die," an intense personal history (of sorts) set to a menacing Afro-Caribbean groove. The track nods to Nina Simone, Billie Holliday, PJ Harvey, and Howlin' Wolf but goes a long way toward convincing us Martina is her own woman.