Morcheeba Album: “The Antidote”

I don't mind that Skye went solo as long as Morcheeba still sounded good. We got two fine cds out of this deal. Skye's cd continues her own musical adventure while Morcheeba go for a retro feel with Daisy sounding a lot like Grace Slick; one of the best singers ever! Lighten up was the first song to hit me then Everybody Loves A Loser was next and the whole cd grows on you as a whole. Both cds are still better than most of what's out there now!

"The Antidote" is a collection of infectious, clever, funky pop songs, with a singer who has a voice like butter with a bit of Grace Slick and Shirley Bassey in there but with a style all her own. Fortunately, this disc is by Morcheeba, a band formerly known for their groovy sound, combining hip hop, relaxing sexy vocals and a little bit of country, rock and R&B. They also produced two of my favorite CD's, Big Calm and Charango - both brilliant. Well, Morcheeba's sound is still groovy but different. Skye Edwards left the band and Ross and Paul Godfrey hired a new singer, Daisy Martey. So some fans are a little disappointed. But after listening to this disc one time (it didn't even have to grow on me) I'm hooked! Every song is a gem, from the title song, with its little bit of Brasil 66 swing, to the gorgeous melodic Lighten Up with its infectious chorus, to the opening cut, which kicks the disc into high gear. It never lets up. It is disappointing when one singer leaves a band, but Morcheeba didn't try to emulate their old sound. They started fresh and I'm glad they did. Bands have to stay fresh to keep people interested. Keep it coming, Morcheeba!

I'm listening to Everyone Loves a Loser as I write this, and I'm actually bored. It sounds like a pop song, FCOL. I got hooked on Big Calm after only ONE song that was included on a mix CD I got for free after attending a Stevie Nicks concert.

This album just isn't as interesting as Big Calm was. I'm going to see what Skye has been up to... hopefully she has a solo album out.

FCOL = "for crying out loud".

I was sad when I heard that Skye Edwards was leaving but the pure vocal talent of the new lead singer more than makes up for it. What can't redeem this album is the song writing straight out of a junior high school band. It is truely sad that the vocals cannot carry the tired and cliched songwriting. This album (which I bought for $9.99 on iTunes) was a waste of money and has made me move on from Morcheeba with much regret.

Like many others, I really wanted to like this album. I had heard it was a 'return to form' for Morcheeba, a return to the days of Big Calm and Who Can You Trust. Those albums had Skye Edwards' lush vocals and the amazing combination of Eastern influence and Western twang that made Morcheeba something very special.

Even though I knew Skye was gone on The Antidote, I hoped the music itself remained. I was extremely surprised at what I heard. If you didn't read the cover, you really wouldn't know it was the same band. Instead of sitars and guitars, we have an album that, as other reviewers have said, sounds like music from a 1960s James Bond film. (I'd like to go a little further, and suggest that it sounds like music from a '60s Las Vegas lounge act.) Don't get me wrong: that doesn't make it bad. It just isn't the Morcheeba I know and love.

I had to set it aside for a couple of weeks and then approach it again on its own merits. "Wonders Never Cease" and "Everybody Loves A Loser" are pretty good, in their way. "Loser" is probably the catchiest on the album. "Ten Men", "Living Hell" and "People Carrier" are okay, but the songs are starting to sound a little bit alike. However, it's on "Like A Military Coup" that you can start to feel the wheels coming off the bus. I'm also not sure what happened on "Living Hell": they have a singer with a big, brassy voice, and they hide her under back-up vocals right when she should be belting out at full strength. The rest of the album comes off as largely forgettable.

In summary: No, it isn't Skye. No, it isn't Big Calm. No, that doesn't make it bad. Lackluster songs and production straight out of 1965, however, make me wonder what made anyone think this was a 'return to form' for Morcheeba. Borrow a copy from someone, LISTEN to it before shelling out your own money if you're looking for Who Can You Trust II...