REVIEW: Morcheeba, Big Calm (Sire/China)
- Joe Silva
After their debut, the buzz behind Morcheeba was strong in enough to lure in old school hipsters like David Byrne for servicing. That and fair amount of touring behind them (with the likes of Live no less...), the sophomore disc has hit the bins. Despite the fact that the chanteuse and her accompanying knob twiddlers is no longer a formula that draws much attention, Morcheeba remain big time contenders in that arena. Not giving themselves over to the sophomore panic that gripped Portishead, Morcheeba remain keyed in on the songs and do not become consumed with conjuring the big atmospherics that can drown your standard electronic pop group when they do not spring naturally.
The fraternal mindspring of the brothers Godfrey (Paul - buttons, Ross - guitar) matched with the silky strains of Skye Edward move easily from their native urban boulevards to the eastern ghettos and back to their soul digs via the avenues of chic pop, mild-mannered dub, and string-laden folk. But for all the toe dipping into the various pools of experimentation, Big Calm is far from cluttered or herky jerky. Skye's voice sound righteous in all of the above formats, and the Godfrey lads display a delicate touch throughout while gently prodding you the listener from groove to groove.
From the start ("The Sea"), Ross Godfrey enjoys reeling off his slick ethereal funk solos while his brother butts strings and scratches up against them. There's straight up sitar to follow ("Shoulder Holster") and even a Kansas-style ballad ("Over & Over") for afters. And all the while, Edwards comes off natural, focused, and hell bent on setting up the trancey vocal that's full-on sultry and equal parts plaintive and spooky.
So while Portishead are forced to retreat from the spotlight, and new kids on block Mono sport a single that sounds more like a vintage commercial for some second rate perfume, Big Calm is not to be overlooked in a year that is still fairly thin in quality and a full three months gone.
