A fantastic group that have yet to reach their potential.

I'm nuts about Morcheeba. They're the group everyone's heard (commercials, movies, etc.), but darn near nobody's heard OF. Matter of fact, anyone who wrote a review on them here, whether they like Morcheeba or not, should pat themselves on the back for actually buying a Morcheeba album, because hopefully, that will result in them making more albums. If you aren't familiar with Morcheeba, think Portishead, a little more funky, and on some major quaaludes. Skye Edwards is pretty much Beth Gibbons' polar opposite, mood-wise. Both bands are heavy on mood, but in different directions.

I'm a melancholic maniac. That's probably why I prefer 1997's "Who Can You Trust?" over any of their other albums. But I'm not reviewing that album, just highly recommending it, or "Big Calm" for an intro to Morcheeba.

If it's one thing Morcheeba is, it's versatile. They can emulate just about any type of music, or blend multiple genres into one, and really do it well. One minute they're really depressing, the next they're skipping over puddles. I don't think any 2 of their albums are the same, and the live instrumentation really showcases their talent. I just really wish they'd break free of their "verse 1 - chorus - verse 2 - chorus" mindframes.

In my honest opinion, Morcheeba just haven't grown. While the variety from song to song is extreme, It's WITHIN each song that you hear the same damn thing over and over. And under Skye's sweet lullaby voice, I don't want monotony, I want variety. When I hear her sing, I think of a bluesy-ultra cool gig at a jazz club, where each track is basically a jam. It's hard for me to explain, but they're wasting these instruments by making them sound like loops. EXPAND! I can understand a hip hop track, like "Women Lose Weight" going loop-dee-loop, but on tracks like "Public Displays of Affection" and "Undress Me Now", I want to just hear the Godfreys go nuts and take me away.

So for those of you who want a nice intro to Morcheeba, or something to just mope around your living room with a cocktail in hand, start with "Big Calm", then check out "Who Can You Trust?" if you feel up (or down) to it. If you want to put on some sunglasses and lay out in your backyard with a margarita, go for "Fragments of Freedom" or this album. Morcheeba has many faces, though, meaning if you don't like one of their albums, you may love another of theirs. Only the most open minded can appreciate everything they've offered. Charango isn't their best, but it's damn fine.

Other tracks to check out are "Aqualung" and "Otherwise", but they're all good. Cheers to Morcheeba, and keep the funk alive.

Really, Really Good

Morcheeba is one of the best chill/lounge artists I know. Although I haven't heard some of their other albums, I'd be willing to bet this is best. Every single track is sooo good! You can put it in without having to skip once. "Slow Down" is truely fantastic, one of my favorite songs ever--from any artist, but "Otherwise" is also fantastic, along with "Aqualong" "Undress Me Now" "The Great London Traffic Warden Massacre" and even "Women Lose Weight" although the lyrics speak of a man killing his wife because she was too fat, lol... but don't worry, even with silly morbid lyrics Morcheeba pulls it off flawlessly.



Overall, this is one of the best albums I've bought in a LONG time. There aren't a ton of tracks, but with ALL of the songs being good, you'll find quality is way better than quantity.

trip-hoppy chillout return to form

Similar to but better (more polished, though some might call it "overproduced") than Who Can You Trust? and Big Calm. If I had to describe the sound of the majority of songs on Charango, I'd call it "smooth and creamy" to the ears with that ubiquitous hip-hop beat done to death by other performers but smoothed and mellowed by Morcheeba.

The "Women Lose Weight" song is, for me, not offensive (hello, parody, people: let's try to recognize humor -- and I say that being a fat chick myself). Actually, story-wise, it's kind of humorous -- in a very black way, of course. I just don't really like rap unless it's in the style of "Bug Powder Dust" by Bomb The Bass/Justin Warfield.

So if I were ripping the songs to MP3, I'd leave off Women Lose Weight. But everything else I'd rip to MP3 -- even Sao Paulo, a mix of dreamy samba and their usual chilled trip-hop. Especially Slow Down, Aqualung, What Do New York Couples Fight About, Way Beyond, Public Displays of Affection. They're on my MP3 player already, and I made a copy to play on my car CD player... etc. I especially look forward to cruising around in the summer with the windows open, playing Charango. That's how this album makes you feel.

Truly defies comparison - Not at all what I expected!

I must admit, I bought this CD purely on Amazon's recommendation, knowing little about the group other then the few songs I've heard on compilations. It starts off with an ethereal sounding piece with female vox (think Portisead, Dido, etc.), pretty mellow...Somehow it moves organically and naturally through this sort of mellow electronica to hip hop and back.

There are a few hip hop songs on this release, which I wasn't expecting, including old school master Slick Rick, in the tongue and cheek 'Women Lose Weight.' Women may be prepared to hate it based on the title alone, but you'd be missing the point. It's hilarious.

Overall - It flows really well and defies comparison to other artists! If you're into great music, you'll dig this ecletic, yet flowing mix.