Electronica comes in two varieties. The dark, strange twisted kind as evidenced by acts like Tricky, Portishead, and even some Massive Attack. But there is another type, a trip-hop-pop that warms the heart and fends off suicidal thoughts. Artists ranging from Morcheeba and Beth Orton to Fatboy Slim and Sneaker Pimps all fit pretty comfortably into this category. Another act that fits into that latter hip, happier category…a lovely English duo by the name of Olive.
The two don’t sacrifice musical quality in favor of commercial appeal. Rather, Olive manages to combine intelligent, invigorating, and emotional synthetic melodies with an upbeat demeanor and as such the two are actually rather compelling within the bounds of their chosen style. Tim Kellett and Ruth-Ann Boyle are the two creative forces behind the act.
Kellett, a former member of Simply Red, and Boyle possess respectively immense amounts of talent. Kellett is a multi-talented musician and producer while Boyle is a delicate, ethereal vocalist. Together, Olive certainly is an act to watch in the future.
Olive debuted in 1996 with Extra Virgin on RCA. The album was a disappointing start to their career. It sold poorly and produced just one hit single in the form of You’re Not Alone. There were certainly other high points, but unfortunately the album is also highly forgettable. After their disappointing reception and without hesitation, RCA dropped the band. It would take years before they would resurface.
In 2000 a newly confident Olive released Trickle on Maverick. This time around, the support from critics for the album was certainly more positive. And while it was by no means a widespread hit, Trickle did provide listeners with a more organic and less contrived portrait of the duo. This apparently new approach to music allowed the two to finally gain the recognition they deserved. And while Trickle is not perfect, it is a worthwhile album…especially for people just beginning to become acquainted with trip-hop or electronica on the whole.
Trickle is an appropriate twelve tracks in length. With nearly an hour of material, the band allows listeners enough time to become emotionally involved with what they are doing. Even better, it will certainly leave people wanting something more. And maybe, just maybe, Olive will deliver in the months and years to come. In the meantime, a few songs from Extra Virgin and much of Trickle will just have to do.
The most luminous moments on Trickle occur within the first few songs. Love Affair, Trickle and I’m Not in Love are beautiful examples of why this album must be included in any electronica/pop collection. There are of course latter examples of talent, most specifically in the form of Creature of Comfort and Speak To Me. But in all, even with the occasional wart, this is a splendidly light album.
Love Affair is one of two extremely recognizable songs (the other being cover of 10cc’s I’m Not in Love). Boyle’s smooth, light, unique voice sets the stage as layer upon layer of synths are soon added. Closing my eyes, I envision a lazy summer day and a warm breeze. Songs really don’t get better than this…it is emotional, soft, and gorgeously arranged. In fact, I forget soon upon the start that few if any of the instruments are real.
Fortunately for Olive, the album doesn’t stop delivering after the first track. Many of the songs that follow are equally tight. Trickle is an honest, lovely song; the kind that once again should certainly appeal to a wide variety of listeners. Boyle’s voice once again is brilliant and the arrangement is seamless. But the next song, I’m Not in Love, was clearly an easy choice for hit single. A bass infused, mid-tempo, radio friendly song it hits home on a number of levels. Of course the track is flawlessly arranged (a characteristic of even the worst Olive offerings) and Boyle’s voice is striking. But even more important is that the English duo made the seventies cover their own. If I hadn’t known better, I would have believed it to be an original.
Trickle progresses and proves consistently impressive. The album on the whole comes across as dreamy and wistful, but not in a melodramatic way. Olive produces uplifting and enlightening music that makes you feel more than actually think. Too few albums by virtue of just music and melody can accomplish this feat. Olive does so easily and gracefully. The vast majority of these tracks are worth hearing. Only a few waver away from perfection, and when combined with the occasional disregard for lyrical content (in favor of feeling) Trickle isn’t quite perfect.
Some of the more annoying tracks include the echoing and hollow-feeling All You Ever Needed, the slow and plodding Indulge Me, the tinny and mediocre Liberty, and finally the at times glorious but usually clichéd synths of Push. Even though some tracks have some issues, Trickle is still worth hearing from beginning to end. It is not the kind of album to pop in the stereo while driving (unless of course you want to completely chill out and end up in an accident) or upon waking up. This Olive sophomore effort is instead the kind of release that will act as a nice soundtrack to life. It doesn’t have any wild tempo or volume changes nor do any of the tracks come as a major shock. It’s just a consistent, light, airy, trip-pop disc. As an added bonus, watch for contributions from the likes of Vini Reilly (Durutti Column) and Robin Guthrie (Felt, Cocteau Twins). Also, there is a deeply buried hidden track worth dredging up titled Take My Hand.
Trickle is a decent album. It is better than Extra Virgin and can certainly be recommended to fans of acts like Morcheeba, Everything But The Girl, Hooverphoic, and Beth Orton. It might not be the most driving album, but it is worth hearing nonetheless.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Love Affair
02. Trickle
03. I'm Not in Love
04. Smile
05. All You Ever Needed
06. Indulge Me
07. Speak to Me
08. Liberty
09. Push
10. Trust You
11. Creature of Comfort
12. Beyond the Fray
Muze: Copyright 1995 - 2008 Muze Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.