CD Reviews

Morcheeba

Dive Deep | Ultra

By MIKAEL WOOD | March 25, 2008

2.5 Stars

Although they rose to late-’90s semi-fame in typical trip-hop style, with singer Skye Edwards doing her breathy, sensual thing over head-nodding beats cooked up by brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey, Morcheeba have evolved into an outfit with a somewhat broader mission statement. On Dive Deep, the English group’s sixth full-length (and second without Edwards, who left in 2003), the Godfreys hook up with a variety of far-flung guest vocalists for a collection of tracks that fold traces of country, rock, and R&B into the brothers’ down-tempo soundscapes. The material covers a lot more stylistic ground than previous Morcheeba records did, but it’s all bound together by the Godfreys’ determination to have their music played in every upscale lounge in Western Europe. Dive Deep’s most distinctive cuts are the three collaborations with Norwegian crooner Thomas Dybdahl, who dresses up the pretty sonic wallpaper with an understated sense of cool Nordic soul. He’s Morcheeba’s best bet for avoiding a trip to snoozytown.

Morcheeba | Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville | March 27 | 617.931.2000

Topics: CD Reviews , MORCHEEBA

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