Thievery Corporation: The Richest Man In Babylon : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Most down-tempo electronica suggests a noir universe populated by morbid shadows, endless regret and plenty of broken hearts. Thievery Corporation are the exception. The Washington, D.C., duo's latest exudes a sense of contentment. Even when producers Eric Hilton and Rob Garza transport you to a nocturnal setting, you feel as if the evening air is blessed with the glow of a full moon. This atmosphere is palpable on "Omid" (Hope), a shimmering track sung in Farsi by vocalist Loulou. Multiculturalism is all over this disc, from the soft Brazilian samba of "Meu Destino" to the emotional Cuban rumba of "Exilio" and the Middle Eastern mystique of "Facing East." Together, Hilton and Garza explore foreign cultures with wide-eyed curiosity and a taste for the unexpected. Then they lock themselves in a studio and record songs that tell stories of a better world.

ERNESTO LECHNER
(RS 905 - Sept. 19, 2002)