MORCHEEBA

MORCHEEBA
DIVE DEEP (2008)
320 KBPS

Longtime Morcheeba fans that found their sunshine bright album The Antidote a complete disappointment couldn't ask for a better follow-up than Dive Deep. Making that other unloved effort seem like a mislabeled side project, Dive Deep finds multi-instrumentalists the Godfrey brothers returning to the murky, moody kind of downtempo and trip-hop of their early days, just without original vocalist Skye Edwards, or for that matter, Antidote's vocalist Daisy Martey. Instead, they go about it Zero 7 style, utilizing a series of guest vocalists including smooth rapper Cool Calm Pete, alternative singer/songwriter Thomas Dybdahl, and most surprisingly, pop/rock veteran Judie Tzuke, who brings a welcome, folk-tinged sound that serves to connect the dots here between soft rock and Portishead. Tzuke's "Enjoy the Ride" and "Blue Chair" are the mellow highlights to curl up with, while Dybdahl's trilogy of songs -- "Riverbed," "Sleep on It Tonight," and "Washed Away" -- finds his poetic musings on all things melancholy perfectly packaged in Morcheeba's lazy sway. Special mention goes to newcomer Bradley Burgess who delivers "Run Honey Run" with all the hippie grace this John Martyn cover deserves. If Burt Bacharach and the bedazzling side of '60s rock influenced The Antidote, Martyn, Bert Jansch, and Fred Neil are the more earthy and literate artists brought to mind by Dive Deep. The change does the Godfrey brother's music good, bringing it more in line with the Morcheeba name and the masterful good songs/good vibes combination that made their first two full-lengths so haunting.

1. Enjoy the Ride
2. Riverbed
3. Thumbnails
4. Run Honey Run
5. Gained the World
6. One Love Karma
7. Au-Delà
8. Blue Chair
9. Sleep on It Tonight
10. The Ledge Beyond the Edge
11. Washed Away

MORCHEEBA

MORCHEEBA
THE ANTIDOTE (2005)
320 KBPS

Caressing the listener's cheek with a pleasant, somewhat psychedelic smile, Morcheeba's The Antidote finds the band reborn as a cross between Burt Bacharach and the Jefferson Airplane. There's still that Morcheeba slyness, but the overall sweetness and comfort-giving attitude in these new songs — plus the band's fresh attitude toward bold, acoustic orchestration — bring them closer to the world of Swing Out Sister. In other words, the formerly trip-hoppy group is going to lose as many fans as they gain with this one. "Electronica" doesn't apply much anymore and departed vocalist Skye Edwards is replaced by former Noonday Underground member Daisey Martey, a powerfully voiced singer who can still emphasize the subtle playfulness in the hip lyrics (best of the lot: "Vacations in Europe, sensational scents/We made the most of your inheritance" from the excellent "Ten Men"). Funk is forgotten but there's still some soul in Morcheeba's sound, along with that adventurous attitude they've always had. Just when the album threatens to become an Austin Powers soundtrack, "Like a Military Coup" dissolves into "Living Hell," Dark Side of the Moon-style. Despite their ominous titles, both tracks are breezy but brainy "feel-good" pop. This balancing of hippie psychedelia and brassy pop would be a disaster in less crafty hands, but the group pulls it off with sparkle and wit. Conjuring the spirits of Bill Withers, Shirley Bassey, and Grace Slick while retaining that Morcheeba cleverness, The Antidote is both a total curveball and pleasant surprise.

1. Wonders Never Cease
2. Ten Men
3. Everybody Loves A Loser
4. A Military Coup
5. Living Hell
6. People Carrier
7. Lighten Up
8. Daylight Robbery
9. Antidote
10. God Bless And Goodbye

MASSIVE ATTACK

MASSIVE ATTACK
PROTECTION (1994)
320 KBPS

Bristol's Massive Attack released a classic with their first album, Blue Lines, but only those who were paying careful attention noticed; soon, they were overshadowed by the likes of Tricky and Portishead, who were colleagues. But not so after the release of Protection, which sported a massive hit and was just as critically acclaimed as their first album. (The hit was the title track, for which Everything but the Girl's Tracy Thorn lent her divine pipes--a move that made the act's name, and also presaged EBTG's move to the dance floor.) Eschewing the showmanship of their scene mates, Massive prefer subtler soundscapes and using a diverse range of vocalists (including Horace Andy, Nicolette, and Tricky) who give them a number of flavors and moods with which to work. Protection is an understated album with a rich palette; it reveals more of itself on repeated listens, growing better--and deeper--each time.

1. Protection
2. Karmacoma
3. Three
4. Weather Storm
5. Spying Glass
6. Better Things
7. Euro Child
8. Sly
9. Heat Miser
10. Light My Fire (Live)

NO PROTECTION (1995)
320 KBPS

This is the studio work of London's prodigious dub godfather, Mad Professor, who takes Massive Attack's Protection album as raw material to create a completely new experience. Bits are added, dropped out, accentuated, run through sonic effects, drenched in reverb, turned inside out until the songs disappear and in their place emerge reborn textural soundscapes. No Protection gives a sort of discursive aural commentary on Protection's original songs, pointing out all the obscured details--the minutest percussive rings and beeps, the most mesmerizing bass loops.

1. Protection (Radiation Ruling the Nation)
2. Karmacoma (Bumper Ball Dub)
3. Three (Trinity Dub)
4. Weather Storm (Cool Monsoon)
5. Sly (Eternal Feed Back)
6. Better Things (Moving Dub)
7. Spying Glass (I Spy)
8. Heat Miser (Backward Sucking)

BJÖRK

BJÖRK
JOGA (1997)
320 KBPS

This little CD is a mini gem that comprises all of the Joga singles into one EP, if you will. There are 2 great mixes of Joga one is done by Howie B., the other is the Buzz Water mix. They are minimalistic mixes and are a nice counterpoint to the menace at the end of the album. The B-sides are of mixed quality. Sod Off is excellent in parts, but is incredibly grating in others, the song is a puzzler. So Broken is a guitar driven song that has Bjork go way off the handle with the vocals, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Lastly, here comes Alec Empire. The hardcore master comes and offers his services; basically the songs are Alec going into a self-indulgent rage of hardcore beauty. If you started the song a minute in, there is no way you'd know it was a remix, but it doesn't matter. They're still pretty damn solid, and I like the way the vocals are worked into the remix. Overall, this limited edition compilation of the gems from the Joga singles is a must have for all Björk fans and a worthy addition for the others.

1. Joga (Howie B. Main Mix)
2. Joga (String & Vocal Mix)
3. Joga (Buzz Water Mix)
4. All Is Full Of Love (Choice Mix)
5. Joga (Album Version)
6. Sod Off
7. Immature
8. So Broken
9. Joga (Alec Empire Mix)
10. Joga (Alec Empire Hardcore Mix 1)
11. Joga (Alec Empire Hardcore Mix 2)

GRAND CENTRAL

GRAND CENTRAL PRESENTS
CENTRAL HEATING (1996)
320 KBPS

Back in 1996, this double CD compilation introduced the original Grand Central roster of Aim, Rae & Christian, Only Child, Tony D, Mr Scruff, Andy Votel and Funky Fresh Few to the world. This album was the proof that British producers could compete with the best of them. ...A true classic!
Now reissued for the label’s tenth birthday, this 21 track double-CD is a great re-introduction to a magnificent label on the verge of greatness. Listen and be inspired by top names like Tony D, Only Child, Andy Votel, Gripper, Rae & Christian, Aim, and others...

Disc one
1. "Central Introduction" - Tony D
2. "How Sweet It Is" - Mr. Scruff & Mark Rae
3. "Spellbound (featuring Veba)" - Rae & Christian
4. "Second Street Gogo" - Tony D
5. "Hand Of Doom (featuring Clita Johnrose)" - Andy Votel
6. "Through These Veins (featuring Afu Ra)" - Funky Fresh Few
7. "Pourquoi (featuring Buffy Brox)" - Only Child
8. "Good Advice" - Rae & Christian
9. "Rain (featuring Buffy Brox)" - Only Child
10. "It's Time Two (featuring Chubby Grooves)" - Tony D

Disc two
1. "Original Stuntmaster" - Aim
2. "Hemlock'd" - Andy Votel
3. "You Mean Fantastic" - Funky Fresh Few
4. "Loopdreams" - Aim
5. "When We Get Together" - Tony D
6. "Gotta Have Her" - Mr. Scruff & Mark Rae
7. "Lunagroove" - Only Child
8. "Baseball Fury" - Rae & Christian
9. "Spooky Driver" - Andy Votel
10. "Souldive (All City mix)" - Aim
11. "Northern Sulphuric Soul" - Rae & Christian

STINA NORDENSTAM

STINA NORDENSTAM
MEMORIES OF A COLOR (1991)
320 KBPS

Sliding over hesitant, jazzy arrangements, Stina Nordenstam's little-girl-lost voice conjures up a dreamscape of its own, full of the details of the everyday juxtaposed against a spacey weirdness. She whispers of lost opportunities of love in "She watches him from behind" and gently mocks her own melancholy with lines like "my sister needs a cigarette to take her through the day, I need this". Hiding behind this lunar lyricism are some glorious jazz hooks that make for captivating listening. Overall, Nordenstam has created the right soundtrack to nights of introspection and insomnia.

1. Memories Of A Color
2. Return Of Alan Bean
3. Another Story Girl
4. His Song
5. He Watches Her From Behind
6. I'll Be Cryin' For You
7. Alone At Night
8. Soon After Christmas
9. Walk In The Park

MASSIVE ATTACK

MASSIVE ATTACK
HELIGOLAND (2010)
320 KBPS

Startling as this may be to thirtysomethings who grew up in prescribed awe of Massive Attack, but a whole new generation has arisen in the 12 years since their last pivotal album, Mezzanine, a generation to whom the Bristol duo are at best peripheral. So while an army of griping fans and sniping critics will argue that Heligoland doesn’t match their early triumphs, or break as much new ground, there will be younger listeners who hear it as something entirely new and recognise it for the gloomily, beguiling beauty it is.
Well, perhaps not entirely new. There are echoes throughout – of Radiohead, Portishead, even the crunching drums and soaring strings of Timbaland – which might make you think Massive Attack have finally become derivative, until you remember that they actually invented these strange, spooked sounds 20 years ago, only to see them plundered since. They’ve added new sonic flourishes – fidgety TV on the Radio guitars, some skittering Warp Records beats – but the emperors are mostly wearing their old clothes, though more stylishly than in years.
Another minor point: Heligoland could well be Massive Attack’s most consistent album. There are no songs as dazzlingly, blindingly perfect as Unfinished Sympathy, or Teardrop (although the gorgeous, satiny melancholy of Paradise Circus comes desperately close), but nor are there as many lesser tracks hiding in their shadows. The folksy, flimsy Psyche is forgettable, but every other song works its way stealthily and irrevocably under your skin, with that trademark combination of understatement and sonic richness.
Just listen to the gothic magnificence of the opening Pray For Rain, with its death-rattle percussion, mournful organ and mesmeric Tunde Adebimpe vocal, or the creeping, narcotic groove of the closing Atlas Air. In between there are songs as sleepily, dreamily rambling as Splitting the Atom (a return to the ghostly vocal interplay and dubby terrain of Risingson) or as pared down and single-minded as Rush Minute, with its relentlessly lapping waves of bubbling bass and rippling guitars.
Massive Attack spent their first 12 years as breathtaking pioneers, while 99.9% of their rivals might manage ten minutes of such inspiration. They may never be as original again, but as long as they make albums as rich, textured and seductive as Heligoland they will remain one of our most fascinating, extraordinary bands.

1. Pray for Rain
2. Babel
3. Splitting the Atom
4. Girl I Love You
5. Psyche
6. Flat of the Blade
7. Paradise Circus
8. Rush Minute
9. Saturday Come Slow
10. Atlas Air

GUSGUS

GUSGUS
POLYDISTORTION (1997)
320 KBPS

Gus Gus create a multi-vibe stir with Polydistortion. At times as cold and icy as their frosty homeland (Iceland), at other times a rumbling volcano of pyrotechnic rhythms, the CD is a study in the dynamics of the electronic. Atmospheric without ever being boring, Gus Gus rely on soul-filled or breathy vocals to turn their compositions into some of the more interesting and accessible aural amalgamations ever committed to disc. "Believe" is a rhythmic juggernaut, while "Gun" is a moody study of beats and texture. "Why" is particularly stunning, a sparse torch song carried along by a Fender Rhodes-style piano line. More eclectic than electronica, Gus Gus make aural sculptures out of rhythm.

1. Oh
2. Gun
3. Believe
4. Polyesterday
5. Barry
6. Cold Breath '79
7. Why?
8. Remembrance
9. Is Jesus Your Pal?
10. Purple
11. Polybackwards

SKYE

SKYE
KEEPING SECRETS (2009)
320 KBPS

Former Morcheeba vocalist Skye returns with more of the Folk/Soul/Trip Hop style that made her debut "Mind how you go" such an eclectic delight. That album had songs like "Love show' (which was featured on Grays Anatomy) and a killer remake of Gorillaz "Feel good inc" (which made theirs sound like it was a cover of hers). "Keeping secrets" is more of the same; Delicate guitars, interesting drum patterns and electronic flourishes perfectly showcasing the cerebral lyrics she sings and that soft ethereal voice that can be likened to a lark scaling glacial peaks.
Opening is the ambient and incredibly melodic "I believe" with lucullan arrangements which sets the tone for most of the 10 cuts on the CD. "Boo hoo" alternates between melancholic and a bit jaunty, while the stunning "Not broken" (with lyrics of self belief) is largely acoustic.
The dark and mysterious "Monsters demons" is made that more ominous by skittery beats and fuzzy guitars ("Monsters, demons, we give them wings, and we teach them to fly" she sings sensuously), while "Clocks to stop" has a Waltz-like sensibility (and Skye singing "Halfway to heaven, do a 180 for hell"). Love those? You'll love the trio of "Wrong alright", the dreamy "Maybe to Spain" (with gently marching beats) and closing cut "Exhale" (with beautiful harmonies and reverbing guitars).
Not everything is soft and ethereal though, "The shape I'm in" is sunny Pop, as is the bouncy "Almost killed me" (which reminds me somewhat of The Cure). An enchanting CD.

1. I Believe
2. Boo Hoo
3. Not Broken
4. The Shape I'm In
5. Monsters Demons
6. Clock To Stop
7. Almost Killed Me
8. Wrong Alright
9. Maybe To Spain
10. Exhale

BETH ORTON

BETH ORTON
TRAILER PARK (1996)
320 KBPS

A folkie for the electronica age, Beth Orton brilliantly bridges the gap between acoustic songcraft and digital dance beats with her extraordinary debut album, Trailer Park. Fusing the plaintive emotional power of the singer/songwriter tradition with the distanced cool of trip-hop rhythms, Orton creates a fresh, distinct, and surprisingly organic sound without obvious precedent; blessed with a warm, ethereal voice capable of adapting comfortably to Spartan folk ("Whenever," a touching cover of the Spector/Greenwich/Barry-penned "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine"), buoyant pop ("Live as We Dream," "How Far"), and spacy, densely layered electronica ("Tangent," "Touch Me with Your Love"), she shifts gears with remarkable ease, the depth and clarity of her unique perspective connecting even the most disparate tracks together into a unified whole. Simply put, Trailer Park is one of the most promising and innovative debuts of its era.

1. She Cries Your Name
2. Tangent
3. Don't Need A Reason
4. Live As You Dream
5. Sugar Boy
6. Touch Me With Your Love
7. Whenever
8. How Far
9. Someone's Daughter
10. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine
11. Galaxy Of Emptiness

GUSGUS

GUSGUS
THIS IS NORMAL (1999)
320 KBPS

Gus Gus' second album, This Is Normal, heralds their discovery that they are first and foremost a pop band. While the spacious, sophisticated electronica they developed on their debut (Polydistortion) is still evident, This Is Normal's smooth, streamlined finish has more than a nodding acquaintance with dance-pop. Though Normal is certainly less weird than its predecessor, it remains floating outside of the mainstream, but swims a little closer to it. Looking to explore individual normality within the album's 11 tracks, Gus Gus' multiple singers and songwriters expound on sex, fame, youth, and love. "Ladyshave" features sly vocals from Daníel Ágúst and a slightly kinky premise, while Hafdis Huld's breathy soprano elevates "Teenage Sensation," "Superhuman," and "Blue Mug" to an icy, remote beauty. As with Polydistortion, Gus Gus continue to be more convincing on their albums' quiet, introspective moments. The mannered chamber pop of "Bambi" and the pretty atmospherics of "Dominique" are among the highlights of This Is Normal, while dance-oriented songs like "Very Important People," "Starlovers," and "Love vs. Hate" probably sound less flat and distant at one of the group's amazing multimedia concerts. The innovative beats and arrangements on Gus Gus' debut are missed here, but This Is Normal is still a fine blend of accessibility and invention.

1. Ladyshave
2. Teenage Sensation
3. Starlovers
4. Superhuman
5. Very Important People
6. Bambi
7. Snoozer
8. Acid Milk
9. Blue Mug
10. Love vs. Hate
11. Dominique

ARCHIVE

ARCHIVE
TAKE MY HEAD (1999)
320 KBPS

Formed back in 1994, Archive caught the attention of discerning ears with their debut album, Londinium, which took trip-hop's already threadbare fabric and wove a rich design of strings, brass and baroque orchestration into it to illustrate the juxtaposition of future and past possibilities hinted at in their name. Their second album sees a wholesale change of personnel with only main man Darius Keeler remaining as the creative lynchpin. While Take My Head is much less rooted in alternative hip-hop, the grandiose treatments of songs survives. On the strongest melodies, notably the uplifting "The Way You Love Me" and its tragic counterpart "The Pain Gets Worse", the effect is highly impressive and reminiscent of Sinead O'Connor's best moments. However Take My Head is let down at times by the scope of its ambition and a tendency to go for the big one every time, though no crime in that.

1. You Make Me Feel
2. The Way You Look Me
3. Brother
4. Well Known Sinner
5. The Pain Gets Worse
6. Woman
7. Cloud In The Sky
8. Take My Head
9. Love In Summer
10. Rest My Head On You
Bonus Track
11. You Make Me Feel (Arkchive Remix)
12. You Make Me Feel (Spectre Remix)
13. Big Fish

BETH ORTON

BETH ORTON
CENTRAL RESERVATION (1999)
320 KBPS

Is Beth Orton the folkie Beck? Or is Beck an Orton with beats? Since both graze from genre to genre like goats feasting on whatever strikes their fancy, drawing parallels is tempting...and perhaps pointless. After all, both artists were born in 1970 and emerged at a time when musical categorization became an exercise in futility. English thrush Orton's third album--like her critically hailed debut and the Best Bit EP--prompts one to flash on an ever-swelling range of influences. Since she's blessed with the rich, warm voice of a true pop singer, it's easy to imagine her sharing space on some out-of-time radio playlist with Dusty Springfield (listen to the elegant, string-laden "Sweetest Decline"), except Orton's music draws on '90s trip-hop elements as well the jazzy folk of Tim Buckley and vet Terry Callier (reprising his Best Bit cameo). Orchestration, upright bass, vibes, and Orton's own resolute guitar give long, languid tracks such as "So Much More" and "Pass in Time" an Astral Weeks-like feel. All those touchstones and no fewer than six producers might imply that Central Reservation is something of a mishmash. In truth, Orton's overriding vision is all that's needed to create cohesion.

1. Stolen Car
2. Sweetest Decline
3. Couldn't Cause Me Harm
4. So Much More
5. Pass In Time
6. Central Reservation
7. Stars All Seem To Weep
8. Love Like Laughter
9. Blood Red River
10. Devil Song
11. Feel To Believe
12. Central Reservation (The Then Again Version)

ARIANE MOFFATT

ARIANE MOFFATT
TOUS LES SENS (2008)
320 KBPS

Ariane Moffatt has built a career based on the sweetness of her voice and the novelty of her compositions. Outside of her native Quebec., she's certainly less well known (though an appearance on a 2005 Putumayo compilation brought her a bit of recognition), but could be fit into the market of highly capable female singer/songwriters with a bit of novelty and quirk to their sounds. Moffatt can tinkle like Feist; she can croon like Sara Bareilles; she can put together a loping beat that simultaneously comes across as both stylishly effortless and highly crafted. Moffatt is vocally strolling and strutting, not just walking. There's a fairly wide stylistic range available here, from softer, more standard-format ballads to an electro-thump title track that uses a whisper and something close to a Rachid Taha motive to clear some surprising territory. Moffatt earned her keep on the Canadian charts with this one.

1. La Fille De L'Iceberg
2. Briser Un Coeur
3. Je Veux Tout
4. Tes Invectives
5. L'Equilibre
6. Eternel Instant Présent
7. Réverbère
8. En L'Air (Intermède)
9. Tous Les Sens
10. Jeudi, 17 Mai
11. Perséides
12. Hiver Mile End
13. Never (Let Me Go) (feat. Yaël Naïm)
14. Mba a Bhècfê (Je veux tout)

FAITHLESS

FAITHLESS
SUNDAY 8PM (1998)
320 KBPS

Listening to "Sunday 8 PM," Faithless' second album, is like stepping into an airy, chilly room. It's a record of languorous grooves, soft beats and sparse computer effects. For this British quintet, a mere tempo change can signal a genre shift: from reggae dub to trip-hop and then to moody pop. You know, the usual electronica. And even though Faithless confront emotional wreckage in "Why Go?" (with Boy George on guest vocals) and crank up the rhythms in "She's My Baby" and the deep-house track "God Is a DJ," it's all a little too neat and antiseptic. Think Massive Attack or Portishead – without the innovation. Even "Killer's Lullabye" and "Bring My Family Back," tours of the tortured-male psyche, are dulled by bland drum programming and generic rapping. If only Faithless had let a few bruises show through.

1. Garden
2. Bring My Family Back
3. Hour of Need
4. Postcards
5. Take the Long Way Home
6. Why Go?
7. She's My Baby
8. God Is a DJ
9. Hem of His Garment
10. Sunday 8pm
11. Killer's Lullaby

PATI YANG

PATI YANG
FAITH HOPE FURY (2009)
320 KBPS

Pati Yang is a Polish singer and a pioneer of trip-hop music in Poland.
Her debut album Jaszczurka (The Lizard, 1998) was probably the first Polish trip-hop record released by a major record label.
In 2001, she moved to London and married the musician Stephen Hilton with whom she started a musical project called Children and later Flykkiller - an electronic rock band. Pati also contributed to the soundtracks of the movies Code 46 and Egoiści.
In 2006, she released her second album Silent treatment which was recorded in the London Air Studios.
Third album, entitled “Faith, Hope + Fury” was released March 27th, 2009. Those looking for something like Goldfrapp will be delighted by this groovy and melodic work of clever and refined dance music.

1. Summer Of Tears
2. The Boy In Your Eses
3. Stories From Dogland
4. Over
5. Supernatural
6. Red Hot Black
7. Timebomb
8. A Little Wrong
9. Strange Friends
10. Outsider
11. Coming Home

JAY-JAY JOHANSON

JAY-JAY JOHANSON
SELF-PORTRAIT (2009)
320 KBPS

A few days back, I was telling a friend that I tend to like "dark music", not in the sense of let's say, murderous industrial music, but just music that tends to be in a played in a minor-key. So I decided to try and look up a definition of what exactly "dark music" is, and what I came up with were the terms, "solitude, melancholy, confinement, and isolation". Oddly, this is never really the feeling I get form this kind of music. Instead, I would probably use the words "sexy" and "intriguing", hey but that's just me.
Anyway, this new Jay-Jay Johanson sure fits the bill. It's dark yet beautiful, haunting and unique. It still has that electronic trip-hoppy feel but with more substance and depths than his previous albums had. In a way, it's a return to his roots only with more skills and experience. Hell, just get it and you'll see.

1. Wonder Wonders
2. Lightning Strikes
3. Autumn Winter Spring
4. Liar
5. Trauma
6. My Mother's Grave
7. Broken Nose
8. Medicine
9. Make Her Mine
10. Sore
Bonus Disc
1. Iron Drum
2. Waiting
3. Wonder Wonders (Avant-Garden Remix)
4. Liar (Full Version)
5. Broken Nose (Detail)
6. The Garden
7. Trauma (Where Melancholy Sleeps Version)
8. Wonder Wonders (Alternate Mix)
9. Sore (Instrumental Version)

HOOVERPHONIC

HOOVERPHONIC
BLUE WONDER POWER MILK (1998)
320 KBPS

Thanks to the radio ubiquity of "2Wicky" (from their debut album, A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular), Hooverphonic won mainstream attention and early admission into the trip-hop pantheon. But this Belgian group's sound was always closer to the warm etherealness and pop aspirations of bands like Australia's Single Gun Theory than the wispy experimentalism of Britain's Portishead. Well, they'll probably still be labeled a trip-hop band, but Blue Wonder Power Milk is essentially an electronica-tinged symphonic pop album--and a very strong one, at that. The breathy coo of new vocalist Geike Arnaert melds effortlessly with the languid beats of tracks like "Club Montepulciano" and "Eden" as well as with the more muscular drum & bass of "Battersea." In fact, almost all the songs--many of which are augmented by simple string arrangements--possess a beguiling beauty guaranteed to keep your finger on the repeat button. Highly recommended.

1. Battersea
2. One Way Ride
3. Dictionary
4. Club Monterpulciano
5. Eden
6. Lung
7. Electro Shock Faders
8. Out of Tune
9. This Strange Effect
10. Renaissance Affair
11. Tuna
12. Magenta
13. Blue Wonder Power Milk

TRICKY

TRICKY
ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1998)
320 KBPS

What's really tricky is following up a debut as innovative and exquisite as 1995's Maxinquaye. Third time out (fourth if you count 1996's perplexing duets project Nearly God) and the artist formerly known as Adrian Thaws is still struggling to find the right balance of ambition and ability on Angels with Dirty Faces. The album has its moments: including a stirring collaboration with Polly Harvey on the bluesy "Broken Homes" and singer Martina Topley-Bird's eerie rendering of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" on "Carriage for Two." If you liked the claustrophobic mire of last year's Pre-Millennium Tension, Angels won't disappoint. Otherwise, you may find it a downer.

1. Money Greedy
2. Mellow
3. Singing The Blues
4. Broken Homes
5. 6 Minutes
6. Analyze Me
7. The Moment I Feared
8. Talk To Me (Angels With Dirty Faces)
9. Carriage For Two
10. Demise
11. Tear Out My Eyes
12. Record Companies
Bonus tracks
13. Peyote Sings
14. Taxi

EMILIANA TORRINI

EMILIANA TORRINI
LOVE IN THE TIME OF SCIENCE (2000)
320 KBPS

Most people have heard her unique vocals, singing the hauntingly, sorrowfully creepy "Gollum's Song" during the closing credits of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." But very few people know Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini by name. Which is a shame, because her trip-hop/electronica album, "Love in the Time of Science," is a unforgettable one.
While sitting firmly on a seat of trip-hop and gentle pop, Torrini stretches her wings with a variety of musical types. It's made up of light electronica like the cool, sweet "To Be Free," and murky pop ballads with a slightly morbid edge. "Keep my daughter in a jar/she can't get out/she won't go far," Torrini croons in one song.
She keeps the cool, dark edge with the eerie "Wednesday's Child" and "Telepathy," the offbeat jazz of "Dead Things," and even a few songs that are fun and upbeat pop, singing about friends who hang out and goof around in the summertime. There's even alien avant-pop that defies classification, where Torrini sings creepily about how tuna fish float with "bellies to the moon."
Comparisons to Bjork are inevitable, since they hail from the same country and have similar vocal styles. However, Torrini's music is smoother and less distant, less electronic and more organic. It's also graced with more traditional instrumentation and a warmer sound. Her music is a different shade of electronica-pop.
Her voice has a haunted, slightly eerie quality. Furthermore, it has the flexibility to be warm one moment, chilly and creepy the next, allowing her to gracefully slide from one kind of song to another. Her thick Icelandic accent makes her singing even more enchanting.
The writing of the songs ranges from surreal ("Tuna Fish") to pleasantly ordinary ("Summerbreeze"), using simple and evocative words for jumbled feelings. "But if it's so good being free/Would you mind telling me/Why I don't know what to do with myself?" she asks plaintively at the very start.
Far from a Bjork clone, Emiliana Torrini produces a superb solo album. Combining the best of electronica and pop, "Love in the Time of Science" is startlingly memorable and well worth it.

1. To Be Free
2. Wednesday's Child
3. Baby Blue
4. Dead Things
5. Unemployed in Summertime
6. Easy
7. Fingertips
8. Telepathy
9. Tuna Fish
10. Summerbreeze
11. Sea People
Bonus Tracks
12. To Be Free (Live)
13. Summerbreeze (Live)