***ALBUM OF THE MONTH | May 2021***
Morcheeba
Blackest Blue
Fly Agaric Records
Buy via Morcheeba’s Official Store | Listen Below
Like any great pop outfit, Morcheeba began in one place before they ventured elsewhere. The British trio—vocalist Skye Edwards and songsmithing brothers Ross and Paul Godfrey—stepped into view of the record buying public twenty-five years ago courtesy of the trip-hop medium. The sub-genre—in its purest form a heady mixture of hip-hop and electronica—stretched back to the late 1980s but burned brightest during the mid-to-late 1990s. Morcheeba, along with peers like Portishead, Massive Attack and several others, went on to define that age.
However, Morcheeba would not sit still.
Every successive effort that emerged after their acclaimed debut Who Can You Trust? (1996) laid the groundwork for one of the most consistent discographies in recent memory. And this was accomplished as they weathered receding commercial fortunes (due solely to a changing industry landscape) and occasional roster shake-ups.
When Morcheeba—now comprised solely of Edwards and Ross Godfrey; Paul Godfrey exited in 2014—unleashed their ninth LP Blaze Away in June of 2018, it was their best work yet—the ultimate summer soundtrack that simmered with curious sensuality and nervous apprehension. This balance between the romantic and the saturnine has always been an integral part of their formula from the beginning. Blackest Blue—their tenth studio offering as hosted on their own Fly Agaric imprint in partnership with Kartel Music Group—finds Morcheeba journeying deeper into their shadow selves.
Speaking with Edwards a few weeks prior to the long player’s arrival, she described that the bulk of the stories found on Blackest Blue were primarily sourced from familial experiences. It is to her and Godfrey’s credit as lyricists—along with a few co-penning collaborations with Henry Law and Steve Gordon (Edwards’ husband)—that the record’s selections are scripted in a general “life and love” context (sans any clichés), leaving them open to interpretation by the listener.
Two pieces that highlight this open-ended writing practice spring not only from Morcheeba’s own imagination via “Cut Out My Heart,” but the mind of Croatian singer-songwriter Irena Žilić with “The Moon.” The latter cut is the set’s lone cover, but the pair make it their own with Edwards adding another verse as allowed by Žilić. To this writer’s ear, both songs artfully deal with the often-messy details of adult relationships: miscommunication, desire, resentment—proof positive that the stock on Blackest Blue has been rendered in a way that will speak to audiences as they hear it.
Upon pivoting from love themes to life themes, Morcheeba are equally adept at addressing our tumultuous times on “Falling Skies” and “The Edge of the World.” The former track tributes the memory of George Floyd and the ongoing activism of the Black Lives Matter movements here in America and abroad in the UK.
A song is only as good as its messenger and Edwards does not disappoint; she is at the height of her power throughout the whole of Blackest Blue. Whether getting down into a bluesy groove on “Killed Our Love” or playing the part of an otherworldly chanteuse on “Namaste,” Edwards’ versatility is uncontested as she uses her instrument to imbue the material with authentic feeling. In many respects, she becomes the silver lining of hope to many of these stormy tracks through the sheer conviction of her performance.
Then there are the soundscapes themselves as overseen by Godfrey, who produces the entirety of Blackest Blue. Everything here—world music (“Sounds of Blue”), funk (“Oh Oh Yeah”), the requisite instrumental (“Sulphur Soul”), art rock (“The Moon”) and more—is blended to perfection in an atmospheric, progressive pop style that has become Morcheeba’s signature approach for over two decades.
An initial spin of Blackest Blue showcases how brilliantly Godfrey casts its music in an oceanic fashion—it is an intentional production method where the topside of this album’s content will draw audiences back to explore what lies just beyond its surface. It is there within the depths of Blackest Blue, with each individual composition, that its particulars will be revealed.
Another classic Morcheeba maneuver implemented on this collection: the guest feature. Both Brad Barr (of The Slip and the Barr Brothers) and Duke Garwood sing opposite Edwards on “Say It’s Over” and the previously cited “The Edge of the World”—they also join Morcheeba as co-writers on their respective tracks. From the folkish ebb of “Say It’s Over” to the rollicking aggression on “The Edge of the World,” Barr and Garwood lend their flair to the songs’ overarching feel.
It would have been easy for Morcheeba to keep returning to one aspect of their sound that brought them to prominence at the outset of their career. Instead, the pair do what they have always done which is push forward. Blackest Blue represents Morcheeba in the moment: bold, mercurial, and enthralling. It is an album that you are meant to experience—don’t miss out.
Notable Tracks: “Falling Skies” | “Namaste” | “Say It’s Over” | “Sounds of Blue”
BUY Blackest Blue via Morcheeba’s Official Store
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