Who Can You Trust? / Beats & B-Sides

Like most people, I was aware of Morcheeba for a long time, but dismissed them as a wannabe Portishead at the time. It was only with the brilliant 'Big Calm' that my perceptions changed. I went back to this album, their first, and while it was not as instant as 'big calm', there is much to savour. Opening with the magical 'Moog Island', (which I was already familiar with thanks to its inclusion on 'Big Calm' as a bonus track) the pace and stlye for the album is set. Slow grooving with lush keyboards, light cymbals and funky guitars, it serves as a good indicator for the rest of the album. Skye's voice is gorgeous, and she sings in a deep and soothing tone. It perfectly complements the musical background she sings over. 'Trigger Hippie', the hit single, is a bit more upbeat, and it's use of slide guitar as well as scratching provides an interesting backgound for Skye's catchy vocal. There are many short bursts of instumentals on the album, such as the funky 'Post Houmous', or the 'End Theme' which reprises parts of Moog Island at a faster pace. But my favourite track is the beautiful 'Howling'. The introduction of a string quartet seems to help Morcheeba realise the whole extent of their talent (it was this that made Big Calm so brilliant) and the song is an epic, helped by Skye's growlsome vocal. The only problem with the album is that I feel it is a bit overlong, and editing would have helped. Most of the tracks are brilliant, but they are sometimes a bit forgettable as the album is so long. If you liked Big Calm, then this is a worthy purchase, and it is interesting to hear the roots of Big Calm's unusual sound.