Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Creamy.
Zero 7 have been called the British Air, and for once the comparison isn't unhelpfully lazy. Like the French geniuses, 7 create cloud-spacious keyboard soundscapes, full of epic, melancholy melodies, reclaiming the despised, functional music of the 70s - muzak, piped/elevator music, BBC Stereophonic workshop etc. - and asserting its emotional value. While this was surprising and revelatory in the mid- to late-90s, it's familiar enough now; thankfully, 7 have enough of their own moody, bittersweet personality to keep you interested. Other major echoes include the more experimental Burt Bacherach of 'Reach Out', especially in the use of such creamy instruments as the trumpet, the xylophone and God's own, the theremin; Portishead, in the late-night, trip-hop despair of songs like 'Destiny' or 'In the Waiting line'. The overall air of blissed pastoral stretches as far as English folk music on occasion. Sometimes, like a spoilt, ungrateful child, I have qualms - that this is too 'coffee-table' perfect; tht the singers sound like session musicians; that 'Likufanele' is a bit too WOMAD for my tastes; but the textured, instrumental beauty, even on the vocal tracks, smothers any doubts. Reminds me, for some reason, of a brighter summer day in the 1970s.
Rating: - A luminous album.
Never has electronica sounded so earthy, almost acoustic. The tunes are highly accessible, but are not trite pop in any way. There's something touchingly human about the beats, hypnotic in their lulling compulsion.Destiny (#3), especially, is a fine track. The R & B vocal work provided by Sia Furler and Sophie Barker finely highlights the soundscape of Zero 7. They show restraint in singing the earnest, truly touching chorus. (Please, someone throw this CD at Christina Aguilera's head.) It's a sophisticated and sensually crafted song that's miles ahead of any other R & B drudgery existing out there. Other songs, if not as fine as 'Destiny', are equally atmospheric and genuinely felt. My only qualm with the album is that there is not enough textual variation, and as smooth and silky the sound world of Zero 7 is, the overall effect is a bit too monochromatic. All in all, a fine and amazing release that is well worth your listening time. The buzz and hype surrounding this release are more than justified. Who says electronica can't touch your soul?
Rating:  - 3 Stars +Music To Chill For!
I'm not quite sure now after a couple of months of listening to this album whether I think it's magnificent or not.The music is just incredible and the vibe is so mellow and laidback-it's a really perfect chill out,trip-hop album.Unfortunately it sounds so similar to groups like Air and Morcheeba it's almost uncanny.I read in an interview a well known musician saying that the problem with many groups is that they're all tending to use identical effects-so they begin to sound the same.Well this album is a case in point-there are sounds on this album where fans of this partcicular genre will be constantly saying "oh that sounds like....,and this bits very like..., etc". The break down of this album is essentially 12 very laidback mellow tracks-lots of moog synths,a beautifully meandering bassline,slow heavy beats-just a total chill out feeling.The tracks are a mixture of instrumentals and half done with guest vocalists like Mozez,Sia Furler and Sophie Barker.All these vocalsist are excellent especially the two ladies on the Ibiza chill out anthem "Destiny".The duo use excellent session players on the album and the whole sound is first rate and very professional.There are lots of strings used,excellent trumpet on two of the songs and a glorious flute on track 6 'Red Dust'.The singers give the songs a real blues feel to the album and the keyboard effects are beautifully done in a very understated way.No sound drowns out or dominates the positively mellow mood on this album.Some of the tracks have excellent variations on them-track 11 has really good African chanted vocals.The closing track is a very short instrumental which is very different to anything the groups I mentioned earlier have done.It's almost a sort of classical piece-or funky classical if there's such a thing.There are no really bad tracks on this c.d. at all-it's just the sound is so derivative of other previously established groups and it is for this reason alone I can only give this particular c.d. 3 stars.I suppose rock and heavy metal acts do this all the time so why isn't it okay for this genre to do the same.If you enjoy Air and the whole "chill out" sound then I'd really recommend this album for you-because this duo have perfected that sound very well indeed.
|
