There’s something odd about Protection that makes it my second least-favorite Massive Attack album. I think I know what it is. Protection lacks cohesiveness. It comes across as a compilation of rejected Blue Lines songs and B-sides rather than a continuation of that sound, despite it being entirely new material.

The track order is all over the place as well, which contributes to the problem. The long, slow-burning title track should have been the closer, and the half-assed, failed (live!) cover of “Light My Fire” that currently ends the album shouldn’t have been on the record at all, let alone ever been made.

There is some progress here on the band’s sound, however. While Blue Lines sounds murky, Protection sees the band further pioneering the new trip-hop sound by making crystalline songs that shimmer for the first time (further distancing the group from early contemporaries such as Portishead‘s Dummy). Listening to the excellent title track mentioned earlier will make you feel like your whole body is being cleansed.

Protection is a great album (Massive Attack have never released a mediocre album), but it falls just short of the consistency of their other efforts. Despite that, many standout moments and Massive Attack’s signature incredible production work still make Protection essential trip-hop listening.