Like their debut album,
Thievery Corporation
's second,
The Mirror Conspiracy
, is a pleasant album of sublime mid-tempo trip-hop, reminiscent of easy listening groove music, and continually referencing the breezier, atmospheric side of Brazilian, Jamaican, French, and Indian forms. The nocturnal dub-poetry of
"Treasures"
sets a tone for the bruising basslines and echoey keys throughout the album, and
"Lebanese Blonde"
is another early highlight, with the graceful vocalese of
Pam Bricker
framing live sitar by
Rob Myers
and a Jamaican-style horn section. Brazil represents with a triple-shot of
"Air Batucada,"
"So Com Voce"
(with vocals from
Bebel Gilberto
), and
"Samba Tranquille."
French chanteuse
Lou Lou
adds a bit of downtempo continental flair on
"Le Monde"
and
"Shadows of Ourselves,"
even samples
Ella Fitzgerald
on the ambient-jungle closer
"Tomorrow."
As on their first LP,
Garza
Hilton
occasionally appear satisfied to just push a few grooves and reference their favorite styles of music over the top -- at the expense of any new ideas -- but
is excellently produced and almost as stylish as the duo's swinging suits on the cover. ~ John Bush