Morcheeba - Charango
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Free Music Notes for Charango
Free Music Review: While in Amsterdam...
Hit: 4 Stars
...I bought the new Morcheeba, my THIRD Morcheeba purchase. Lucky me -- I got the 2-CD set (which has a 2nd CD, all instrumentals of the 1st CD). (I skipped Fragments of Freedom because of the reviews from lovers of the first two Morcheeba CDs). I've loved Morcheeba since I bought Who Can You Trust? when it first came out. And I can definitively say -- Charango is Morcheeba in [top] form on [most] of the tracks, although a couple tracks go over as filler. But that's saying a lot for Morcheeba, in a day and age when most CDs have the reverse ratio -- a couple good songs, and all the [rest] filler.The best songs on Charango -- "Slow Down" - "Aqualung" - "What Do New York Couples Fight About" - "Public Displays Of Affection" have The Signature Morcheeba Sound -- these ALL have that trip-dub, minor-key sound first introduced with "Trigger Hippie" and "Tape Loop" (from Who Can You Trust?).
"Sao Paulo" practically makes you feel the sultry Brazilan heat yet has the trippy undertow you know, expect and love. "Way Beyond" is sung/played in major key, and a light-hearted vein -- and the change from a minor to a major key makes it all the more devastatingly satirical. If I didn't know they were British, I'd think Morcheeba was describing the typical American urban yuppie-(...)-metrosexuals one can find in big-city singles bars/clubs, who drive SUVs they can't afford, and, in general, spend money they don't have on stuff they don't need to impress people they don't like.
I could live without "Women Lose Weight" but that's mainly because I don't like rap at all, unless it's very old (Grandmaster Flash) or Missy Elliot.
Since I got the first Morcheeba CD "Who Can You Trust?", I've heard and read their trippy sound variously described as "trip-hop", "electronica", "the Bristol sound", "groove", etc. All not very helpful descriptions.
What it should REALLY be called "Amsterdam coffeeshop soundtrack music" -- because that's what it IS. Charango (and Big Calm and Who Can You Trust? -- as well as CDs by other artists like Portishead, Euphoria, and Air) is the sound of sitting in an Amsterdam coffeeshop, high on the best house Shiva, sipping a cappucino, dreamily staring out the window at the passing Amsterdammers, choosing to take a few steps back from the world to chill.
If you've been there and done that, you know what I mean. If you haven't, and you can't get to an Amsterdam coffeeshop, just listen to Charango. By itself, in a non-altered state of consciousness, you'll get there in spirit anyway. It's that mellow and that good.
Free Music Review: Nonchalant, relaxing, humourous - excellent
Hit: 4 Stars
Morcheeba is evolving slowly from one album to the other, by light touches, absorbing current trends without losing their identity. It is once again the case with this release.While the first radio friendly single "Otherwise", the catchy and upbeat "Women lose weight" (nice contrast between Slick Rick rap and Skye voice but weird lyrics) or the beautiful "Aqualung" are in direct continuity with "Fragments of freedom", other tracks are looking in the electro lounge direction, keeping an organic feel though. "Slow down" with its hypnotic beat, the Chris Rea like guitar solo and Skye laid back vocals is a good example. So are "Undress me now" or "Way beyond".
"Sao Paulo" is an exotic and summery track. "Charango" is almost instrumental with only some rap lines thrown in. It sounds like a future chill out/post-clubbing hit to me. "What New York couples fight about" is one of my favourites. It is a precious and hypnotic trip hop track. The combination of Kurt Wagner's evocative lead vocals and Skye's breathy backing ones is working great and make this song special. It reminds me of "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" soundtrack. I have not heard anything from Lambshop but I might in the future. "Get along" and the atmospheric "Public display of affection" have Morcheeba first albums tranquility and nonchalance. The album closes on a cinematic instrumental "The great London traffic Waden massacre".
This is an album for those who are looking for quiet, soft, relaxing music and soothing vocals. It is the type of music who will insinuate in your head without being noticed. So throw away the shoes, stretch that aching back and take a deep breath, it's time for a break...
Note: There is a limited edition of the album with a bonus CD containing instrumentals of the 12 album tracks. The instrumentals are exactly the repetition of what you already have on disc one minus the vocals (and two original tracks are already instrumentals). Worth it if you're a Morcheeba collector or if you enjoy instrumental background music.
Free Music Review: Skye is gone......,.but Morcheeba is still kicking along
Hit: 4 Stars
Skyke Edwards IS gone....which is undeniably sad. She had a voice that melted your ears and heart, and really carried the songs home. Ross and Paul Godfrey STILL provide excellent beats and rhythms, however, and the new substitute for Skye, Daisy Martey, does more than an acceptable job with the vocals. She's clearer, and though I don't like her voice as much, she's still got the soul required to carry these songs through the ether to your head.
I just found that out Daisy was replaced for live performances, by Jody Sternberg. I don't think the brothers ever truly found a replacement for Skye- my aunt lives in D.C, and she's seen this crew a few times, and she has the opinion that Skye was probably the best- but the beats are tight on this album, same as on "Trigger Hippy"- so the debate over vocals is really a personal preference. I personally like Charango. They bring in a few new rappers- Pace Won does his bit on the title track, and a few others, like Slick Rick (on Women Lose Weight) does an ok job. I still love the Brother's beats, as always. They really make this album.
It's a different Morcheeba, but give it a shot. "What New York Couples Fight About" is a great track, and "Undress Me Now" really highlights Martey's smooth voice. "Public Displays of Affection" has possibly the best beat in a electronica song I've heard in a while. "Get Along" almost had me believing Skye was still there. *Sniff. Oh well.
Not a bad record, by ANY means.
Free Music Review: Buy this, you won't be disappointed
Hit: 4 Stars
I'll admit, I went through a down-on-Morcheeba phase when I heard (ugh!) Fragments of Freedom, so I was a bit hesitant to stick in Charango when it was first released months ago.My concerns were unfounded. Charango is a great release. This CD opens smoothly, with the aptly-titled "Slow Down" (which is probably a good idea for all of us to do), and continues with a smooth compilation of tracks. "Sao Paulo" is perhaps the best track on the album, and certainly by the time you've reached "Undress me now" you're feeling a bit, well, pleased that you've plunked down a few dollars for this CD. With the exception of "Women Lose Weight", which sounds good the first time but REALLY gets OLD, this is a push-play-and-relax CD, one that I could listen to over and over again.
If you pick this up expecting another "Who can you trust?" then you'll be a bit disappointed but it's still worth it. If (for some reason) you are a "Fragments" fan you'll probably like this as well, although it's not as annoyingly-poppy as the previous release... which for this Morcheeba fan is a very good thing.
There's also a bonus CD out there that is all instrumental versions of these songs. I highly recommend it.
Free Music Review: Battle Cries, we make a swift retreat...Paradise, it dont...
Hit: 4 Stars
Big Calm is one of the best trip hop if not the best trip hop records ever. So when fragments of freedom came out (which wasnt THAT bad) everyone was overly disappointed. So morcheeba goes back to their original formula, and it works for them on this album. There are some great tracks on this album and some real gems, but the lack of freshness and orignality lures over this album. There's less creativity than there was on big calm, and the instrmental track on this album, "Charango", isnt near as good as the Big Calm instrumental, "Bulletproof". But if you are a huge fan like me you are gonna love this CD. I thought the "Women Lose Weight" song was alright, except for the fact slick rick was over about 10 years ago. Its neat to see them branch out and do collaborations with other artists, but at the same time it almost seems as if they are running out of ideas. But any way you put it, its a huge improvement over "fragmens of freedom", but still cant measure up to "Big Calm". But oh well. Morcheeba rules.