I Am Not A Doctor - Moloko

Moloko, named after the famed tipple of Alex in ‘A Clockwork Orange’, suffered much criticism when they first emerged, often seen as just another Portishead clone by the critics. Their debut album, ‘Do You Like My Tight Sweater’ saw them hiding from the public eye, even going so far as to use three dolls for their photo shoots (Plankton, Spanner and JoJo later quit the band, after their egos got too big for them to handle). ...
...saw a darker shift in their music, and finally, a little critical praise. Here’s a track by track guide to the odd masterpiece:

The Flipside- In my opinion the strongest track on the album, this cult single, with its evil puppet featuring video is an excellent introduction to Moloko’s vocal stylings and fondness for strange effects. The result is a relatively chirpy slice of seductive drum ‘n’ bass.

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Moloko, named after the famed tipple of Alex in ‘A Clockwork Orange’, suffered much criticism when they first emerged, often seen as just another Portishead clone by the critics. Their debut album, ‘Do You Like My Tight Sweater’ saw them hiding from the public eye, even going so far as to use three dolls for their photo shoots (Plankton, Spanner and JoJo later quit the band, after their egos got too big for them to handle). The follow up album, ‘I Am Not A Doctor’, saw a darker shift in their music, and finally, a little critical praise. Here’s a track by track guide to the odd masterpiece:

The Flipside- In my opinion the strongest track on the album, this cult single, with its evil puppet featuring video is an excellent introduction to Moloko’s vocal stylings and fondness for strange effects. The result is a relatively chirpy slice of seductive drum ‘n’ bass.

Knee Deepen- Here the album takes a turn for the sinister with a slow, metallic death march, with Roisin’s innocent vocals matched with cold breakbeats and cool wah synths.

Blink- A furiously speedy mishmash of spastic drum ‘n’ bass with repetitive synth-brass stabs. One of the most aggressive tunes here, and certainly one of the best.

Stylophone Pet- A pointless, but cute experimental duet between a bass guitar and a stylophone.

Downsized- Starting with vintage synth ambience, then becoming a near-flawless r ‘n’ b track, frustratingly cold production with the occasional flicker of d ‘n’ b. This is a problem on several tracks on this record.

Sorry- Another, slightly moronic short with sarcastic apologies moaned over Human League-esque synth-pop.

Sing It Back- Another case of overly cold production, which takes the heart out of a potentially great track. This potential was later realised by Boris Druglosch (let’s see you spell it better!) with his high charting disco reversion.

Pretty Bridges- More swift, metallic breakbeats here with the dark chant ‘ All my bridges burn, All my pretty bridges burn’. The song builds up becoming more and more abrasive into a furious climax of rattling drums and syncopated chants.

Be Like You- Cool trip-hop, with random echoes, Roisin dueting with her pitch-shifted alter-ego, and the most odd chorus on the album, which wouldn’t have sounded out of place on their debut.

Caught In A Whisper- One of the most beautiful moments on the album, an omen for ‘The Time Is Now’. Featuring the most solemn vocals that Moloko have ever recorded, this a gorgeous slow melody with a background of pulsing acid and live drums.

Dr Zee- Some more complex beats with vocals that always sound exactly three inches from your ear. Patently ridiculous lyrics and jumping bass, but still slightly predictable by this stage.

The Id- Similar sounding to their older track ‘Lotus Eaters’, funk-flavoured r ‘n’ b, with fast flowing vocals and insane chorus with about twenty layers of vocals.

Tatty Naaja- Another confusing short.

Over My Head- Ultra cool chorus with cheesy moogs, prickly 70s wah guitar and anti-bimbo lyrics with (no, really) a catchy tune. Verses, however have a familiar feel, with chrome-plated drums and close-up seductive singing.

Should’ve Been, Could’ve Been- Very heavy live drums, haunting synth-bass, distant moaning and Arctic vocals wind up the album in suitably cold fashion.

It is the cold nature of this album, which seems to be its main consistent flaw. It is understandable why Moloko wanted to detract from their cartoonish image, but they really overdid it. However, for the majority of the album, the Baltic production is outweighed by the strength of the songs.
 

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