Morcheeba Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Longtime Morcheeba fans that found their sunshine bright album The Antidote a complete disappointment couldn't ask for a better follow-up than Dive Deep. Making that other unloved effort seem like a mislabeled side project, Dive Deep finds multi-instrumentalists the Godfrey brothers returning to the murky, moody kind of downtempo and trip-hop of their early days, just without original vocalist Skye Edwards, or for that matter, Antidote's vocalist Daisy Martey. Instead, they go about it Zero 7 style, utilizing a series of guest vocalists including smooth rapper Cool Calm Pete, alternative singer/songwriter Thomas Dybdahl, and most surprisingly, pop/rock veteran Judie Tzuke, who brings a welcome, folk-tinged sound that serves to connect the dots here between soft rock and Portishead. Tzuke's "Enjoy the Ride" and "Blue Chair" are the mellow highlights to curl up with, while Dybdahl's trilogy of songs -- "Riverbed," "Sleep on It Tonight," and "Washed Away" -- finds his poetic musings on all things melancholy perfectly packaged in Morcheeba's lazy sway. Special mention goes to newcomer Bradley Burgess who delivers "Run Honey Run" with all the hippie grace this John Martyn cover deserves. If Burt Bacharach and the bedazzling side of '60s rock influenced The Antidote, Martyn, Bert Jansch, and Fred Neil are the more earthy and literate artists brought to mind by Dive Deep. The change does the Godfrey brother's music good, bringing it more in line with the Morcheeba name and the masterful good songs/good vibes combination that made their first two full-lengths so haunting. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Caressing the listener's cheek with a pleasant, somewhat psychedelic smile, Morcheeba's The Antidote finds the band reborn as a cross between Burt Bacharach and the Jefferson Airplane. There's still that Morcheeba slyness, but the overall sweetness and comfort-giving attitude in these new songs -- plus the band's fresh attitude toward bold, acoustic orchestration -- bring them closer to the world of Swing Out Sister. In other words, the formerly trip-hoppy group is going to lose as many fans as they gain with this one. "Electronica" doesn't apply much anymore and departed vocalist Skye Edwards is replaced by former Noonday Underground member Daisey Martey, a powerfully voiced singer who can still emphasize the subtle playfulness in the hip lyrics (best of the lot: "Vacations in Europe, sensational scents/We made the most of your inheritance" from the excellent "Ten Men"). Funk is forgotten but there's still some soul in Morcheeba's sound, along with that adventurous attitude they've always had. Just when the album threatens to become an Austin Powers soundtrack, "Like a Military Coup" dissolves into "Living Hell," Dark Side of the Moon-style. Despite their ominous titles, both tracks are breezy but brainy "feel-good" pop. This balancing of hippie psychedelia and brassy pop would be a disaster in less crafty hands, but the group pulls it off with sparkle and wit. Conjuring the spirits of Bill Withers, Shirley Bassey, and Grace Slick while retaining that Morcheeba cleverness, The Antidote is both a total curveball and pleasant surprise. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Fragments of Freedom was released in 2000 and not received very well. If critics and fans would have been able to gaze into a crystal ball a couple of years in the future, they would have understood. With the benefit of hindsight, consider Fragments the prototypically disjointed transitional record that saw Morcheeba shifting focus from trip-hop to a more well-rounded mix, as Charango completes the journey that may have been bumpy, but with a sweet destination. Once again, guests are brought in to augment the band's sound; Lambchop's Kurt Wagner returns to help the electronica act with meditative lead vocals that fit into the film noir soundscape that is "What New York Couples Fight About," and Pace Won adds his rhymes to two tunes -- the title track, which harks back to the trip-hopping salad days of the group and sees the rapper taking the lead, and "Get Along," where he makes a more subtle contribution on a dreamy cut that sounds like something from the '70s if they had more modern equipment back then. However, the best is "Women Lose Weight," which sees Slick Rick sound completely old-school with Morcheeba's pop-soul groove letting his typically clever rhymes and dark comedy dominate the song. Though the appearances of outside musicians is a positive move overall, the remainder of the disc as done by the three members of the group stands up on its own; Skye Edwards' vocals are sultry as she makes all diva-like on lead track "Slow Down," the string-drenched melancholic "Otherwise," and the lazy, tropical "Sao Paulo," and overall her performance makes Charango the band's best record in some time, and for anyone not a purist, it's possibly Morcheeba's best ever. ~ Brian O'Neill, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Morcheeba's Paul Godfrey compiled and mixed this volume of the Back to Mine series of chill-out albums. Godfrey's imaginative choices, which reflect some of the sounds that have influenced and inspired his group, include New Orleans R&B (Dr. John), Tropicalia (Os Mutantes), Indian soundtrack music (Kittu), and even alternative country-rock (Lambchop). Despite this eclecticism, Godfrey manages to maintain a relatively consistent mood and feel on this album. The flow isn't consistently brilliant, however; some tracks fit together beautifully while others don't blend together as smoothly, so some listeners may find this album to be more disjointed than they had hoped. Fortunately, the individual songs are generally interesting, including Annette Peacock's distorted vocals on "Pony," the killer bassline on "What It Is" by Missin' Linx, the combination of soul and hip-hop in the Giant's "Hidden Crate," Taj Mahal's forceful reworking of the blues number "Chevrolet," and TV star David McCallum's "The Edge" (which inspired Dr. Dre's "Next Episode"). The compilation includes one of Morcheeba's better songs, "On the Rhodes Again," which is the B-side to "Tape Loop" and the first track they recorded on their EMS synthesizer; it also includes selections by Morcheeba collaborators Jim White and Nosaj (a member of New Kingdom). So the album does provide some insight into Morcheeba's music in addition to offering an appealing blend of music. ~ Todd Kristel, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Even though Morcheeba were one of the later, straggling entries in the trip-hop phenomenon, their previous albums succeed because of the interplay between Skye Edwards' sweetly sensual, airy voice and the band's correspondingly mellow grooves. Their third album, Fragments of Freedom, scraps most of their signature sound for experiments in R&B, acid jazz, and hip-hop. It's certainly understandable that the group would want to move away from the dead-and-buried trip-hop sound that defined them originally, and now Morcheeba are using bands like Brand New Heavies and M People as sonic templates instead of Tricky and Portishead. The opening track, "World Looking In," ranks among their finest, and the steel drum instrumental "A Well Deserved Break" is pretty and refreshing. "Shallow End" boasts a lilting, seductive melody that showcases Edwards' voice instead of fighting against it, and the title track is a pleasant enough piece of trip-hop pastiche. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Realizing that trip-hop was a dead end, at least as far as hipness goes, Morcheeba expanded their sonic palette on their second album, Big Calm. Trip-hop and dance rhythms remain, but the trio has spent more time writing songs, crafting an album where pop, lounge, film soundtracks, reggae, jazz, and electronica all peacefully coexist. Consequently, Big Calm is a stylistic tour de force, evidence that Morcheeba have turned into a mature, sophisticated group with impeccable taste. Occasionally, the album can sound a little distant, as if the fusions and productions were more important than the actual songs, but the trio is so musically adept, and Skye Edwards' voice is so enchanting, that Big Calm become irresistible in its own way. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Who Can You Trust?'
Release Date 9/24/1996
Tracks 12
Label Discovery
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Slower, smoother, and more soulful than Portishead and less pop-oriented than the Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba have an alluringly dark sound that nevertheless remains accessible. As their debut, Who Can You Trust?, illustrates, the trio has a keen sense of how to make a pop melody seem dangerous and foreign by having it crawl out of the murk of creeping beats and ominous samples. Although the group lacks the visionary spark of Tricky and Portishead, and their songs aren't as bracing as the Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba have a distinctive, idiosyncratic sound that makes Who Can You Trust? entrancing. Although the latter half of the album tends to sound a little samey, without many beats or hooks to distinguish each song, the album remains a hauntingly atmospheric -- and quite terrific -- debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
