Becoming X

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Becoming X is one of the most engaging byproducts of post-Portishead trip hop. While the Sneaker Pimps don't have the doomed romanticism of Portishead or the nasty experimental tendencies of Tricky, they have a cool sense of pop hooks and an edgier guitar attack than their predecessors. "Tesko Suicide" moves along with jagged guitars and rhythms, while "6 Underground" is coolly detached post-modern soul. Becoming X creates an airy, urban atmosphere, and while the record begins to unravel toward the end, it is an exciting, entrancing listen.