Morcheeba

...Found this tucked away in my CD collection—some really nice music here..
Does anyone know much about this group? Like, how many albums have they put out, and does all their stuff sound similar to what you hear on the Charango album? If anyone here is a big fan or knows their discography well, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
🙂

I haven't listened to >, but I've gone through their first three albums. For me, the first and third are the winners. The first one, >, leans heavily into trip-hop—especially with > on there. The third, >, is pure pop territory with tracks like > and >. The second one, >, is the only one that misses the mark for me; it lacks direction, failing to capture the atmosphere of the first or the hits of the third. Still, it's passable. A solid band overall. Musically, I prefer >, but > has better hits and they certainly lift your mood more when the sun is out. 🙂

like >

I’ve always had a massive soft spot for Morcheeba—their sound is nothing short of phenomenal.

👍 👍

Personally, I find myself leaning much more toward their early era... back when they were deep into that trip-hop vibe and those other hazy, atmospheric tracks. 😁

Interesting perspective, though I personally find "Big Calm" to be an exceptional album. You claim it lacks hits 😕 yet it’s practically brimming with them! I mean, you have tracks like The Sea, Shoulder Holster, Blindfold, let me see, and Part of The Process... but then again, to each their own 😁
Personally, I find "Fragments of Freedom" to be rather mediocre; their debut was fantastic, and "Charango" is quite good too. But "Big Calm" is easily the best.

For those who might not know, the band is from England. It's a trio, featuring a vocalist with a truly stunning voice named Skye Edwards. They actually performed in Washington, D.C. last summer at Lollapalooza...

Big Calm is alright, just a bit too laid back... I’d rather listen to Who Can You Trust... they’ve got that darker edge... don't really care for the rest of them... yeah, they played at Lollapalooza last summer... what kind of pop is that even... some indie garage band playing nearby was way more interesting and loud than them... what a joke... that’s the kind of stuff you play in your living room, not go to a concert for... oh man... total waste.

They aren't exactly a stadium act—not the kind you'd see at a massive venue near the train tracks where half the crowd dies of boredom from terrible organization and you end up hearing more gravel under your boots than the singer's voice.
More like a small club band—something you'd catch at a local dive bar or a tiny venue downtown, if you're lucky. 😁

Anyway, my favorite album is Who Can You Trust. It hits harder emotionally for me, mostly because I fell in love with them back when they were actually relevant.

Honestly, *Fragments of Freedom* is easily their dumbest work. Total garbage. For me, *Big Calm* is the standout—and their debut was actually pretty solid too, along with *Charango*.
They’re a decent enough band, I guess. Though, I have this sinking feeling they won't ever record anything good again. I'm worried they've already peaked and hit their ceiling.
Of course, Portishead is in a completely different league—they're just classier. But even they seem like a closed chapter at this point.😢

Nancy Chase9 said:Honestly, they aren't really built for some massive outdoor stadium next to a freight line—you know, those poorly organized festivals where half the crowd just gives up and dies, leaving you hearing more gravel under your boots than the actual vocalist.

hehe, do you remember when the trains would roar past and blow their horns, yet she stayed totally upbeat while the crowds just went wild...😂

I suppose I’ve been a fan for quite some time now, and there isn't much I can do about it... 😁
My absolute favorite has to be Big Calm... though I suspect those first three albums are actually their peak... and Trigger hippie is arguably one of the best things they've ever produced...
As for the concert, even if the train ride felt more intense at times than the band itself, it remains a lovely memory, and I'm honestly just glad I was able to make it... 🙂

boldeagle3 said:hehe, remember when those trains used to roll by honking, and she’d be all happy, waving at them and everything? 😂

No 😢
I didn't see her—didn't see her on stage, didn't see the damn screen either.
And I missed out because I was stuck in a sea of people right in the middle
right next to the speakers... which were rattling like hell, while I waited for my idiot friend to get back.
Meanwhile, he decides to hang out off to the side—this guy is 6'7", can see everything from basically any angle—and he didn't even show up until the very end.
And some jerk was suffocating me, so I didn't even realize it was Trigger hippie (for example) until halfway through the song, at which point I told him to shut up somewhat politely since I actually liked this track.
He didn't shut up.
So yeah.

No, I don't remember her waving at any train.

Her debut album was actually pretty solid, but ever since then, things have just kind of 🙂🙄🙂
...

boldeagle3 said:I'm a huge fan of Morcheeba; their music is just phenomenal.

👍 👍

Personally, I'm more into their early stuff—that trip-hop vibe and those trippy tracks. 😁

I second that. 🙂

Nancy Chase9 said:No, I don't really recall when the train pulled away

hehe...... 😬
Well, I was standing right by the stage... so I had a pretty clear view of everything... but then toward the end, some idiot decided to stand there with his phone and take pictures (you know, imagine the kind of phone I'm carrying... 🙄 ) so I politely asked him to move... but he wouldn't budge an inch... so I tried to make sure my hands were in every single shot, basically jumping around just enough to annoy him from behind... and eventually.... he moved! :victory:
Ahhh..... what a lovely day that was... 😍

Nicole Baker said:man, I've loved them forever and there's nothing I can do about it... 😁
Big Calm is my absolute favorite... those first three albums are peak... Trigger hippie is honestly one of the best things ever made...
And even though the train ride was probably more exciting than the band itself at times, the concert still sticks with me in a good way. I'm just glad I actually went... 🙂

hehehe.. personally, I was on one of those trains heading to the coast. Like, window down in the sleeper car and suddenly this singer's voice just hits me. 😲 😲 😲 My head had already been at the beach for days, so I pretty much totally blanked on the actual concert. 😁

Anyway, the first two albums are the best. Everything after that? Just keeps getting worse and worse.

Big Calm is my absolute favorite
/Blindfold/fear and love/🙂
And honestly, WCUT hits just as hard too
Their later stuff is fine, a bit more pop, I guess... whatever

Man, I totally missed out on the concert because I was stuck dealing with college enrollment crap... what a joke🙄

Nancy Chase9 said:No, 😢not really...
because I didn't actually catch her—nor did I see her on stage, nor could I make out that stupid screen
And the reason I missed it was because I was stuck in a literal sea of people right in the center
standing right next to the speakers... which were rattling like hell, frankly, while I waited for my idiot friend to come back
But he decided to park himself somewhere off to the side—and since the guy is two meters tall, he can see everything from basically any vantage point—so naturally, he didn't show up until the very end
Meanwhile, some jerk was suffocating me, so it wasn't even until halfway through a song that I realized it was Trigger hippie (for example), at which point I told him—somewhat politely—to shut up because this was actually a good track
He didn't shut up, though
So, yeah...

No, I don't recall her waving at the train

Offtopic:

I was actually pretty close to the stage. I managed to snap some shots of Bareta while they were performing during the daylight, so the photos turned out quite well.
As for the Morcheeba photos... I'd rather not even go there. 🙄
Regarding the concert itself, there were a ridiculous amount of idiots surrounding me (Nicole Baker reminded me of them, actually)... ranging from drunk fools climbing over one another like they were at some gay pride parade to someone who just wouldn't stop farting 🙂
Honestly, that Lollapalooza was a total godsend.

those DJEJv guys in the atrium were killer! 🔝 :W they definitely tore up the dance floor with some girls :slap!: :D

Kenneth Ward8 said:Funny enough, I actually think "Big Calm" is a killer album. You claim there aren't any hits, 😕but it's loaded with them. I don't get it—you've got The Sea, Shoulder Holster, Blindfold, let me see, Part of The Process... but hey, to each their own. 😁
Personally, "Fragments of Freedom" is mediocre for me. Their debut was great... and "Charango" is solid too. But "Big Calm" takes the win.

It’s like I wrote it myself... 🙂
The Sea and Blindfold are the best...

They screwed me over during admissions so I didn't go... 😢

The military absolutely wrecked me 😠 (I mean, I would’ve bolted, but those bastards caught me right on the day I was supposed to report for duty 😠 )

Man, Skye isn't in the band anymore😢 😢 What a shock!

The new album is actually great—highly recommend it if you get the chance.🙏 It’s still that classic Morcheeba vibe; a little different, sure, but still hits the spot.
The single "Wonders Never Cease" is killer—I've had it on repeat.
The new vocalist, Daisy Martey, has an amazing voice, but let's be real, you just get used to Skye and it's hard to move on.😢

Anyway, I wish I had a better vocabulary so I could write a proper review, but since I don't: just listen to it. The album is solid.👍 🙏