The Cosmic Game

The three-year wait for Thievery Corporation’s fourth studio album, The Cosmic Game, has not been in vain. The Washington, D.C., duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton take their listeners around the globe with their most recent psychedelic, dub, down-tempo orchestration spiced with tablas, sitars, Latin percussion and horns. The guest vocals are the big surprise, with Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) opening the album with one of the strongest tracks in the collection. Coyne and the Corporation are such a perfect match, it’s hard to believe the two are separate entities. Perry Farrell manages to make a worthwhile contribution, finally, though David Byrne somewhat overshoots the laidback, chilled-out, lounge feel with his quirky Afrobeat contribution. The true gems are the lesser-known singers such as Loulou from their previous works and Indian superstar Gunjan. And of course there’s the dub, trip-hop, spacey beats from Rob and Eric.