It is probably best to err on the side of caution before criticising the newest album by Massive Attack, at least if past experience is anything to go by. Both 1994's 'Protection' and 1998's 'Mezzanine' proved to be enduring, slow-burning classics which are now considered as set texts for the music we refer to as chill-out. By waiting another five years, the group - or rather sole remaining member 3D plus guests - have burdened themselves with the expectation of many listeners but this time, it is unlikely '100th Window' will be cherished lovingly as a classic. Even the normally reliable Horace Andy seems to be sleep-walking through his contributions whilst Sinead O'Connor is the usual model of inconsistency. Smoky beats and dub rhythms are still there but the tracks themselves seem to be treading water. Even the best efforts, - 'Special Cases' injects drama into proceedings, 'Butterfly Caught' boasts some captivating Asian noises and the final track 'Antistar' is certainly cool and is the most insidious track here - connect on a merely superficial level. The conclusion is a collection of perfectly listenable, filmic background music but it's hard to imagine anyone placing this on the CD player in preference to previous albums.