Big Calm - Morcheeba

...tale of literally leaving the big smoke and losing yourself in a calmer climate. A great starter even though it has been overexposed a little, being used for theme tune to reality show 'Shipwrecked'. A lazy Sunday morning track, gentle enough to not disturb a hangover, one of the most unbelievably mellow tunes I've ever heard. Semi-acoustic, whispery, I might as well be floating on air! 'I'd love to stay, the city calls me home. More hassles, fuss ...
...All I know is that Big Calm shot down like a bolt of lightening in 1998 and made me realise how diverse a band can be. I never realised so many styles could be blended so perfectly. Three years later and when I listen to it now, it still remains fresh, firmly placed in my favourite list. Give it a listen, you might get inspired.

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Ahhh the sound of Morcheeba. Laid back music doesn't get much better than this. According to the band, this album was conceived from the idea that modern life is so hectic and stressful, we all need some time out. This theme runs throughout the entire album and who better to provide the soulful vocals than the aptly named Skye.

There are a whole host of sounds that make up this threesomes unique take on the music scene, including the short lived genre of trip-hop used heavily on their debut album, soul inspired lyrics contemplating love, life and death and plenty of wah effects from one talented guitarist.

To set the tone of the album, 'THE SEA' comes first, a tale of literally leaving the big smoke and losing yourself in a calmer climate. A great starter even though it has been overexposed a little, being used for theme tune to reality show 'Shipwrecked'. A lazy Sunday morning track, gentle enough to not disturb a hangover, one of the most unbelievably mellow tunes I've ever heard. Semi-acoustic, whispery, I might as well be floating on air! 'I'd love to stay, the city calls me home. More hassles, fuss and lies unfold'

Trip-hop makes its first appearance on 'SHOULDER HOLSTER' with more wah than you can shake a stick at (wah, the funky guitar effect is the term isn't it? If not, I feel stupid). Heavier beats on this one matched against the fashionable resurrection of the sitar. 'Out of the depth, every soul can pay a fee. Those who are kept, I'm gonna set you free'. Relating to the stress and fear in our lives, this song observes our paranoia and mistrust of others, yet the feel is still laid back and comes across as a positive track. One of the highlights.

Hang on, I feel like I'm floating again. Not content with trip-hop, Morcheeba add blues guitars and folk friendly violins to this one and a few subtle sound effects and bass in the background. 'PART OF THE PROCESS' makes me want to lie back in the sun and sing along. In England? If only. It conveys a message of longing for peace, although they express it better than I ever could; 'You smash they grab 'til it's gone, attempt to grow and fix undone. And I am the way it's all to scale, we're all companions on which we sail'.

'BLINDFOLD' is my personal favourite in its entire epic sounding proportions. The classic tale of love is blind I presume, with lines such as the chorus; 'I'm so glad to have you and it's getting worse. I'm so mad to love you and your evil curse'. Beautifully sung with a hint of jazz backed by a string section, the song crescendos into a perfect example of how so many different genres can blend perfectly. Sadly, this didn't rate highly in the singles chart, I guess you can't have everything.

Indeed you can't have everything, when all was going well, 'LET ME SEE' lets the album down slightly and fails in its impact against the previous tracks. I can't help but think this would be better off as a b-side. 'Oh, let me see, all of the places that I can be. Oh, let me know, all of the places where we can go' doesn't leave much of an impression either. Similar in its reference to jazz as in the previous track, it's ok but lacks lustre.

Do they sound any good if you take away the vocals? Damn right they do! Halfway through the album, 'BULLET PROOF' shows off the talent of the other members, especially on the production side. Frantic sample scratching on the decks pays a nod of respect to hip hop and that funky Hammond sound playing all the way through is too good for words. This is what trip hop was all about, the dub bass finishing it off nicely.

What we need now is a change of pace. A ha! Here comes 'OVER AND OVER' an acoustic ballad, slightly melancholic. 'Running through my life right now, I don't regret a thing. The things I do just make me laugh and make me wanna drink. I'd like to meet a mad man who makes it all seem sane, to work out all these troubles and what there is to gain'. Short and sweet this one, particularly thoughtful on the lyrical side of things.

Oh by the way, they pull off reggae pretty well too, as if they hadn't impressed me enough so far! 'FRICTION' has a bit of a Jamaican rap with trumpets and all. 'Men in high places can't understand how to end trouble in this broken land. They have no idea and no feelings for love, just send in the dogs and they stand well above'. Still showing signs of disillusion with modern life then.

You may know this, you may not, 'DIGGIN' A WATERY GRAVE'. I swear this instrumental should be promoted as a method of meditation. I seem to remember it being used on various TV adverts around the album release. It's simple yet leaves a huge impression, a beautiful steel guitar melody backed by a sitar harmony and that's it. That's all there needs to be. Without words, it manages to sum up the entire feel of the album and indeed the album title. Weighing in at just over a minute, shame it couldn't last longer!

Warning: do not listen to 'FEAR AND LOVE' if you're feeling emotionally delicate. I'm listening to each track as I write about them in this opinion and if I'm not careful I'll start sobbing in a minute :o( It's a heartbreaking ballad and the strings in the first few bars just add to its emotional impact, not to mention the muted trumpet solo. 'We always have a choice or at least I think we do. We can always use our voice I thought this to be true. We can live in fear, extend our selves to love. We can fall below or lift our selves above. Fear can stop you loving, love can stop your fear. Fear can stop you loving but it's not always that clear'. Simple lyrics but very effective in their reflective sentiment. Oops too late, a tear escaped so I'd better move on...

'BIG CALM'. The title track and what a way to end the album. They packed a lot in for this one; trip hop beats, hip hop rapping provided by 'Nosaj the Great' (whoever he may be), wah a plenty, a bit of dub and a few whispery 'oooohs' from Skye. An anthem sound, it does the album proud, building up into chaos then fading away to the end. Spellbinding.

So to sum up, Morcheeba are:
Skye Edwards (vocals)
Paul Godfrey (drums, lyrics, scratching)
Ross Godfrey (guitars, sitar, pianos, pedal steel, lap steel, etc.)

How have they not managed to captivate the world with this one? Who knows, maybe they're happy to stand in the shadows. All I know is that Big Calm shot down like a bolt of lightening in 1998 and made me realise how diverse a band can be. I never realised so many styles could be blended so perfectly. Three years later and when I listen to it now, it still remains fresh, firmly placed in my favourite list. Give it a listen, you might get inspired.

 

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