Skilled Mechanics
by Tricky
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. Q Magazine
    Feb 4, 2016
    60
    The most successful tracks are those where Tricky is front and centre. [Mar 2016, p.117]
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  2. Uncut
    Jan 29, 2016
    60
    The seething mood is familiar but the cursory electro beats offer little of the grimy richness of primetime Tricky. [Mar 2016, p.81]
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  3. The Guardian
    Jan 27, 2016
    60
    Despite these mis-hits, Skilled Mechanics seethes with low-level, lo-fi menace, its spare instrumentation creating an unsettling queasiness that will have been familiar to Tricky’s admirers since 1995’s Maxinquaye.
  5. Resident Advisor
    Feb 24, 2016
    56
    Those few powerful moments [on Boy] are the exception rather than the norm. Their rawness is an essential element that could have lent Skilled Mechanics the sort of organic, internalized anxiety that once defined Tricky.
  6. Record Collector
    Feb 1, 2016
    40
    While it isn’t without its moments, that is not enough to forgive the sub-standard R’&’B and lumpy rock crossovers.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Custom_Concerns
    Feb 2, 2016
    4
    Despite having some similarities in atmosphere to Tricky's magnum opus Maxinquaye, Skilled Mechanics lacks absolutely everything else thatDespite having some similarities in atmosphere to Tricky's magnum opus Maxinquaye, Skilled Mechanics lacks absolutely everything else that made that album one of my favorites of all time. The beats are sparse and unimaginative and sound like the same basic Garageband loop run over and over again. Tricky's deep vocals, typically an important piece of his sound, are completely uninspired here. He sounds almost as bored as I am when I listen to this record. Not every track here is a complete misstep - in general, the tracks featuring other artists bring enough variety to be mildly entertaining, but it isn't enough to save the record.

    41/100    … Full Review »
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