Angel

There are some songs that transcends the art form. Seriously, they raise the bar and it's those kinds of songs that change you after you hear them. Sometimes that change is temporary but then there are times like with me where that change takes hold permanently. For me it started with "Sideshow" by Blue Magic and continued with Vivaldi's "Gloria", the aria "Nessun Dorma", "Mercy, Mercy Me" by Mr. Gaye, and with this song entitled "Angel" by Massive Attack. When I first heard this song I had no idea what I was hearing but the more I listened to it the more I realized that what I was actually listening to was a work of art. If this song could be made physical it would be breathtaking and it would be placed alongside other masterpieces in a museum.


The song starts off menacing, downright evil and the tone is set almost immediately. A low rumbling bassline is soon joined with some serious percussion. Those two entities are soon joined by dropped in instrumentation that just adds to the dark atmosphere and the eerie feel of the song. Then the vocals come in, light and airy over the dark track singing about love. "You are my angel/Come from way above/To bring me love" and from that point on the track starts to cook and finds its groove. The drums open up giving the song more depth and even more menace (as if that were needed). The vocals drop back in with "Her eyes/She's on the darkside/Neutralize every man in sight....love you/love you/love you..." and the guitar comes in and the song begins to swell as that bassline holds it all together and rides all the way through this song until it ends like it began. Slow and menacing.


Massive Attack has over the years made some amazing music like "Unfinished Sympathy" and "Paradise Circus" (a song that is also on this blog). "Angel" however in my opinion would have to be the jewel of the crown. It's a song I never get tired of listening to and never will. It's made me an unapologetic fan of theirs and I hope they are locked in a basement studio somewhere in London trying to come up with a song that will top this one. Good luck fellas, you're going to need it.