Morcheeba
Issue #25
The Antidote (Echo UK)
By Elizabeth Rhodes
Published: September 1st, 2005 | 12:55pm
You won't find Skye Edwards, hip-hop tracks, or classic “chill out” programmed beats on The Antidote. Morcheeba have abandoned their signature down-tempo style for live instrumentation and guitar-driven psychedelic rock — and it works.
Paul and Ross Godfrey seem to have jumped at the chance to experiment after switching from the majors to indie label Echo. He found a new vocalist to fill Edwards' big shoes — former Noonday Underground member Daisy Martey. Sounding remarkably similar to Grace Slick, Martey's rough and raw voice wouldn't have mixed with the deep-grooving trip-hop of Big Calm, even if they'd tried. So in came the guitars, live drums, and a Led Zeppelin Medieval English pipe solo.
Morcheeba's fifth album is nothing if not eclectic, from the Stone Roses-guitar on "Ten Men," to the XTC female-male duet, "Military Coup," to the transition from Pink Floyd spacey guitar to country in "Living Hell." The album eventually loses momentum, but never collapses. And although the lyrics are intelligent and uplifting — "I think you'll find everybody loves a loser / So you'll be fine, you won't be lonely long" — the vocal melodies are sometimes stale and formulaic. This is particularly noticeable toward the end of the album on tracks such as "Daylight Robbery."
The Antidote is a controversial record. Diehard Big Calm and Skye Edwards fans may have trouble adjusting to the new sound. For others, it may be an antidote for their fear of electronic music. Either way, it's great to see an established band doing something new — and doing it well.
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