Morcheeba – Blackest Blue

It feels deliciously evocative to hear a new Morcheeba record now, at the edge of lockdown, as we wait impatiently for the long promised third summer of love to launch. 

Remembered as trip-hop pioneers of the mid-90s, Morcheeba first came to the fore with their airier, blissed-out take on the genre that was moodily soundtracking the post-rave landscape. They’ve since shaken off the trip-hop label, yet Blackest Blue returns us to that era with its melancholy notes. It’s perhaps their most introspective record yet, permeated with themes of loss and a retreat into the self.

Blackest Blue is a slow burner, lifting and cocooning you in a way that only a serene Morcheeba track can, although sometimes failing to pack the punch we’ve heard on previous releases. Opener Cut My Heart Out for instance has the ingredients for a soaring number, yet doesn’t quite land. 

But there is still much left to love. The roaring guitar riff in Sulphur Soul brings a muscular interruption to the album’s saunter, while Sounds of Blue enshrouds its listener in a signature blend of Skye Edwards’ satin vocals and the psychedelic warbling of Ross Godfrey’s guitar. What the album lacks in impact it makes up for with trippy downtempo calling cards, which will keep long-time Morcheeba fans plenty satisfied.

Listen to: Sounds of Blue, Oh Oh Yeah, Falling Skies