Mezzanine (1998) by Massive Attack is one of the most unique albums I’ve ever listened to. It has its own distinct, atmospheric sound that can hardly be compared to anything else. It’s dark and brooding, it perfectly encompasses the feeling of dread and it has a wide sample range from Turkish music to jazz and soul. It was made in 1998, but it sounds like it could have been released today or even in 20 years. It combines elements of electronica, hip-hop, reggae, post-punk, and industrial music, which blends into what is known as “trip-hop”.
Trip-hop is a genre mostly consisting of a psychedelic combination of hip-hop and electronica with slow tempos and atmospheric sounds. It almost always features a bass-heavy drumbeat and a melancholy type of sound to it, and is often experimental. Mezzanine is very different from Massive Attack’s previous albums, Protection and Blue Lines, which have a jazzy and relaxing sound.
Mezzanine is 63 minutes long and features 11 tracks:
Angel (6:18)
Risingson (4:58)
Teardrop (5:29)
Inertia Creeps (5:56)
Exchange (Instrumental)(4:11)
Dissolved Girl (6:07)
Man Next Door (5:55)
Black Milk (6:20)
Mezzanine (5:54)
Group Four (8:13)
Exchange (4:08)
The most popular songs by far are Angel and Teardrop. The opening song Angel is very dark and almost sounds sinister. The lyrics and music video can be interpreted differently, and I think the music video is a better choice since it’s easier to comprehend.
In the video, a man is being chased by multiple people, which eventually turns into hundreds. I think that the people chasing the man represent fears, regrets, addictions, etc. The longer you run away from them, the worse they get until you reach a point where you can no longer run away. So you are forced to confront them and realize that they are afraid of you. So basically, don’t let your fears chase you; chase them instead.
The next song, Teardrop, is extremely heavy-hitting. It sounds like grief or struggle turned into a song. It’s melancholy, but at the same time, it feels powerful, almost motivating. While the singer Elizabeth Fraser was writing the lyrics, she was dating another artist, Jeff Buckley. Jeff died of drowning during this period, so I think that heavily influences the lyrics. The start of the song opens with the lyrics:
“Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word”
It’s exactly what it sounds like. Love is something you do. It’s something you put energy into to make it work.
“Feathers on my breath
Gentle impulsion
Shakes me, makes me lighter”
This part is not exactly clear in what’s being said, but I think it has to do with the singer’s grief for her partner. Impulsion is a strong urge to do something, and in the context of the song, to push forward. So I think it means the urge to push through the grief. Feathers are light; they weigh almost nothing. So when the singer says “Feathers on my breath,” maybe parts of herself are leaving her, or possibly releasing a burden. This goes in conjunction with “Shakes me, makes me lighter”. To keep it short, I personally think this song is about the singer (Elizabeth Fraser) struggling with grief and trying to let go of it.
The next song, “Dissolved Girl,” features a new singer named Sarah Jay Hawley and an amazing hook sampled from the Taxi Driver theme. Dissolved Girl sounds enigmatic and mysterious, and Hawley has a beautiful, haunting voice. This song was even played in the Matrix when Neo was asleep in front of his computer. The song opens with this verse:
“Shame, such a shame
I think I kinda lost myself again
Day, yesterday
Really should be leaving but I stay”
This song is about an abusive relationship, and this opening verse describes the singer ashamed of herself and feeling like she should leave, but stays.
“Say, say my name
I need a little love to ease the pain
I need a little love to ease the pain
It’s easy to remember when it came”
The singer expresses how the love in her relationship has diminished. She just wants to be loved again and often remembers when the relationship was better.
“Fade, made to fade
Passion’s overrated anyway”
The pleasure/love out of the relationship fades, but the singer doesn’t mind that much because she’s just here to dull the pain at this point.
Mezzanine is an amazing album that invokes such a mysterious and dark feeling; it’s just awesome. This was one of the few albums of the 90s that really brought trip-hop and British underground to light. Overall, I absolutely loved this album and would honestly give it a 10/10. It’s such a unique and thought-provoking album that just can’t be found anywhere else. Some of my favorite songs are Teardrop, Black Milk, Risingson, and Dissolved Girl. It’s perfect on a rainy or bleak day, and I would definitely recommend this if you ever want to listen to something new.