Morcheeba Who Can You Trust? CD

Morcheeba: Skye Edwards (vocals); Ross Godfrey (guitar, lap steel, bass, Wurlitzer piano, synthesizer); Paul Godfrey (drums, drum programming, scratches).
Additional personnel: Richard Harrison (guitar); Steve Bentley-Klein (violin, trumpet); Brent Snell (violin); Adrian Turner (viola); Richard Bridgemont (cello); Tom Hodges (flute, saxophone); Dave Lee (French horn); Gary Baldwin (Hammond C3); Jarrod Coombes (acoustic bass); Pete Norris (synthesizer programming).
Recorded in London, England.
Personnel: Skye Edwards (vocals); Ross Godfrey (guitar, lap steel guitar, piano, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer); Richard Harrison (guitar); Steve Bentley-Klein (violin, trumpet); Klein Brent Snell (violin); Adrian Turner (viola); Richard Bridgemont (cello); Tom Hodges (flute, saxophone); Dave Lee (French horn); Gary Baldwin (organ); Peter Norris (synthesizer, programming); Paul Godfrey (drums, scratches).
Recording information: Electric Place; London, England.
Photographers: Daniel McLewin; Eddie Otchere-Dhagren.
Slower, smoother, and more soulful than Portishead and less pop-oriented than the Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba have an alluringly dark sound that nevertheless remains accessible. As their debut, Who Can You Trust?, illustrates, the trio has a keen sense of how to make a pop melody seem dangerous and foreign by having it crawl out of the murk of creeping beats and ominous samples. Although the group lacks the visionary spark of Tricky and Portishead, and their songs aren't as bracing as the Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba have a distinctive, idiosyncratic sound that makes Who Can You Trust? entrancing. Although the latter half of the album tends to sound a little samey, without many beats or hooks to distinguish each song, the album remains a hauntingly atmospheric -- and quite terrific -- debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
This U.K. trio injects the aesthetics of trip-hop with a lush, languid, easy-listening air for a concoction that demands a deep, comfortable couch and a top-of-the-line set of headphones. The hypnotic, understated delivery of vocalist Skye Edwards floats over the sweeping synth arrangements, slide guitar, Hammond organ, and subtle technological trickery of brothers Ross and Paul Godfrey. WHO CAN YOU TRUST?, the band's full-length debut, includes the singles "Trigger Hippie," "Tape Loop," and "The Music That We Hear."
Atmosphere is paramount for Morcheeba, and TRUST's track list passes through a spectrum of colors. The opener, "Moog Island," sounds like a sleepy siren song. "Post Houmous" lulls with its dub-inflected mid-tempo groove. "End Theme" is glossy retro lounge. But the whole album feels like one beautiful, continuous opium dream. Morcheeba references '30s blues, '90s electronica, '60s psychedelia, and film soundtrack soundscapes, blending these elements into a savory stream of pure sound quite unlike anything else. WHO CAN YOU TRUST? invites listeners to dive in.Entertainment Weekly (11/08/96, p.68) - "...Skye Edwards operates with an understated purr that sounds like Sade filtered through Portishead....[she] has enough hypnotic charms and charisma to counter the dangers of techno-riff overkill." - Rating: B+
Q (5/99, p.132) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...For those coming late to Morcheeba, the limited-edition set is the ideal introduction."
Melody Maker (4/6/96, p.41) - Recommended - "...Best to say they take up where trip hop leaves off, picking up at its outer reaches and taking it way, way off into the Indian Ocean....A strange and bitter brew indeed."
Musician (2/97, p.125) - "...saved from Portishead comparisons mainly by their fondness for guitars. Their laid-baack beats and gentle, smoky tunes are enhanced by Ry Cooder-ish slide, funky wah-wah, and other simple guitar flourishes, as well as a reappearing Hammond organ and some occassional strings..."
Village Voice (4/15/97, p.62) - "A brother who's into blues, a brother who's into technology, and a sister (no relation) who sings so kind and calm there's a temptation to brand her bland. Believe me, that's just her soul talking....always thoughtful, often sad, rarely neurotic, never scary..." - Rating: A-