Morcheeba, Reinvented
Written: Dec 16 '05 (Updated Dec 19 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: New sound, to the point, well produced, fantastic pop-oriented songs...
Cons: Fans may be disappointed because Skye is gone...
The Bottom Line: I thought Morcheeba was done two years ago, fortunately they regrouped and tried some new things. The Antidote is the result.
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| lambchops's Full Review: The Antidote - Morcheeba |
It has been three years since Morcheeba last released a studio album. After years of touring, critical and commercial successes, and cooperation the threesome had lost some of the fire that had made their first three albums so special. In fact, it was on the 2002 release Charango that the first real hints of upheaval came.
The 2003 Greatest Hits collection Parts of the Process seemed to be the end of it all. I was convinced that the band had ceased to exist. Alas, I was wrong. While the band’s sound has changed quite a bit, the multi-talented Godfrey brothers returned to the studio. Sans the unique, disaffected vocal style of Skye Edwards they had to alter their musical direction. New lead singer Daisey Martey brought a distinctly folk-rock meets flat Grace Slick sound to the band. Suddenly a new life was breathe into the formerly floundering Morcheeba.
Don’t try to deny it—the band’s first two albums are also the best. Who Can You Trust? (1996) and Big Calm (1998) created a lush, trip-hop soundscape punctuated by a keen pop sensibility. The sound was wild and fascinating and is what the two albums that followed built on. The Godfrey brothers became bored with the direction and decided to reinvent themselves without dropping the Morcheeba moniker. Martey (who sounds almost nothing like Edwards) was their solution. The Antidote (2005) was the end product.
First things first, don’t go into The Antidote expecting something akin to Big Calm. Ross and Paul Godfrey seem to take a great bit of inspiration from their leading ladies. In the case of Edwards, they drew on her funky vocals with a good bit of soul, hip hop, and pop thrown in for good measure. In the years since her departure, the remaining two founders have taken to avant-garde musical avenues and have grown up. Rather than relying solely on trip-hop and pop for inspiration, they have turned attention toward broader horizons. It is Martey whose throatier, emotive vocals have paved the way for a new audience while still pleasing existing fans. That is of course if fans can first get over the fact that their goddess is no longer part of Morcheeba.
What I really, really appreciate about The Antidote is that the album is very different than anything the band has ever done. It is mostly a pop record with some surprising country, folk and rock bits. Even more impressive than the switch in direction for the Godfreys (consider, there’s a banjo on Ten Men) is the fact that their new lead singer is so very perfect for the band in addition to incredibly talented. I once again am forced to compare her to Grace Slick—indeed this is the intensity she confidently wields on each song. This is a consistently good album with some definite excellent moments. Two things this disc has in common with previous ones are that it showcases the brothers well. The second thing is that it is brief. I hate albums that far outstay their welcome. The Antidote gets the job done within the span of ten tracks.
It flows beautifully from the first notes of Wonders Never Cease through the very end of God Bless and Goodbye. Chill out, wind down, and relax…this is a relieving album perfectly suited to the end of a long workweek or a breezy summer afternoon. The Antidote may come as a complete and utter surprise, but I think Morcheeba is headed in the right direction. All you need to do is listen in order to understand the truth. In fact, many of these songs now rank among my favorites from one of my favorite bands in recent years.
So, you ask, what are the best songs? Look toward the Wild West meets synthesizers sound of Ten Men makes it both entertaining and original. Martey sounds absolutely impeccable. Her style adds a completely new facet to the music. On one hand I can imagine Edwards singing, but the more acoustic, less “electronica” slant is much better suited to the new frontwoman. The excellence continues through Everybody Loves a Loser and Military Coup. The next song I can’t help but hit repeat on is Living Hell. While the title sounds like something out of a horror movie, the vaguely Latin pop arrangement melds nicely with a soulful chorus, acoustic guitars, and keys. This is the kind of diversity that Morcheeba has always been about.
Daylight Robbery is another stunner as is the languid midtempo God Bless and Goodbye. Regardless of whether or not you’ve enjoyed Morcheeba in the past, The Antidote is definitely worth checking out. It’s enough similar to the previous albums that fans shouldn’t be too distressed and enough different that naysayers may finally be impressed. I’m definitely sold on the idea of Martey as lead singer. She sounds great and her warm, dynamic vocals work wonderfully with the Godfrey arrangements.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Wonders Never Cease
02. Ten Men
03. Everybody Loves a Loser
04. Like a Military Coup
05. Living Hell
06. People Carrier
07. Lighten Up
08. Daylight Robbery
09. Antidote
10. God Bless and Goodbye
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Related Reviews:
Who Can You Trust? (1996)
http://www.epinions.com/content_58176867972
Big Calm (1998)
http://www.epinions.com/content_56171138692
Fragments of Freedom (2000)
http://www.epinions.com/content_55031205508
Back to Mine (2001)
http://www.epinions.com/content_73994636932
Charango (2002)
http://www.epinions.com/content_72661962372
Parts of the Process (2003)
http://www.epinions.com/content_10495430208
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lambchops
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 in Music |
 - Top 50 |
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Member: Shelly T.
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
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