David Holmes - David Holmes Presents The Free Association (2002)

Some sweet trip-hop courtesy of a group headed by great Irish producer David Holmes, and powered by the dual vocal attack of Pati Yang and Sean Reveron, which plays kinda like a chilled-out take on the metal 'beauty-and-the-beast' template and reminds me a bit of early Tricky. Very true to the original form of the genre -- which, many of their contemporaries seemed to have forgotten, wasn't all that far removed from hip-hop -- but with a colorful, psychedelic sound that still sounds inspired today.

Track listing:
1. Don't Rhyme No Mo
2. (I Wish I Had A) Wooden Heart
3. Le Baggage
4. Free Ass O-C-B
5. Somedays
6. Everybody Knows
7. Pushin' a Broom
8. La Dolce Vita
9. Paper Underwear
10. Whistlin' Down the Wind

Singin' with the dolphins
Dancing with the starfishes
Ridin' the unicorns

If you like this, try:

Depth Charge -
Nine Deadly Venoms (1994)

The Bug -
Tapping the Conversation (1998)