You might not have heard of British band Morcheeba before, but it is likely that British readers have unwittingly heard lead singer Skye Edwards' voice before - she sings the words "we go home" in the first verse of the BBC's 1997 all-star rendition of Lou Remed's 'Perfect Day'. As the title may suggest, 1998 release Big Calm is a very relaxing listen, and this is largely due to the gorgeous Edwards' voice that was once sandwiched between Bono and Bowie. It's a clear, soothing voice that instantly gets you feeling...well, calm.
For the most part, the songs Morcheeba serve up here are fairly straightforward. The sound is thin and driven by simple beats, the tempo is slow, the lyrics basic, the tunes melodic and the choruses catchy. Thinking about it, the band I would liken them most to is The Lighthouse Family, whose songs are equally simple, smooth, and catchy. There are a few curveballs on the record and they are all effective - 'Bullet Proof' is a swanky instrumental number, 'Over and Over' is a stripped down song that really showcases the class of Skye Edwards' voice, and 'Big Calm' is an unexpected rap track of sorts which ends the album on a fun note. The whole album is a joy to listen to, but if I had to pick my highlights then I would go for the aforementioned 'Over and Over' and single 'Part Of The Process', which reached No.38 in the UK charts and contains a chorus that will be pleasantly circulating your head all day.
That's all I have to say about this one. It's easy listening but it's very enjoyable listening, especially when you're sitting on a beach in Australia.
8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment