Sometimes my opinion of a group really boils down to preconceived notions. I’ve heard a lot about Morcheeba over the years and it has always been my impression that they are a trip-hop group and in general, I enjoy this style of music. However, when I slipped Charango in for a listen I had to play it a few times through while I tried to figure out where the trip-hop was. It was quite elusive and took awhile to find, but I can sort of find it on a few tracks here. Instead, much of Charango is more akin to adult pop-styled lounge music. Morcheeba seems to be all about ambiance, which makes this album a fine thing if you’re just looking for some laidback mood music.
While this album lacks most of the beats I’ve come to anticipate from trip-hop, the biggest thing missing for me here is the soul. Singer Skye Edwards has a lovely voice with that smoky, jazz quality I generally love. The problem is on most songs here she just doesn’t use it to its full extent. One some tracks I’d even go so far as to say that she’s just singing the words--not feeling them in any deep way--and her lack of emotion just rubs me the wrong way.
Please don’t think I hate this album, because I certainly do not. Everything here is quite listenable and very low-key; there are just some tracks I enjoy more than others. The ones that strike me the most are those that stray away from the poppy lounge music and into something more. There is the Brazilian influence on “Sao Paulo” that makes for a track that just drips with sensuality and has a brilliant jazz interlude in the middle. I really dig Pace Won’s contributions to the title track, especially some of the lyrics like, “Ya’ll need to roll your blunts with Morcheeba.” That should remove most confusion about what the group’s name means and, well, it’s a fun, upbeat song. I also thoroughly take pleasure in the odd “What New York Couples Fight About” featuring Kurt Wagner of Lambchop. The song is an interesting mix of styles and the Kurt and Skye’s vocals make for a unique juxtaposition. The guitar also helps bring this one to the forefront of the album for me.
Based on other reviews of this album, I don’t think I enjoyed Charango as much as those who were previously fans of Morcheeba because they would already be familiar with the group’s style. It makes me think I should definitely check out some of their previous releases to get a better feel for where Morcheeba is coming from. If you come into this expecting trip-hop a la Portishead or Massive Attack you may end up as confused as I was the first time I listened to this album. In the end, Charango will likely grow on you as well, mainly due to Skye Edwards’ pretty vocals and the guest features.
The fifth album from Morcheeba, Charango, sounds like the kind of album that should always have been a part of your collection; like mood music for th...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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