Customer Reviews

Charango

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Morcheeba is evolving slowly from one album to the other, by light touches, absorbing current trends without losing their identity. It is once again the case with this release.

While the first radio friendly single "Otherwise", the catchy and upbeat "Women lose weight" (nice contrast between Slick Rick rap and Skye voice but weird lyrics) or the beautiful "Aqualung" are in direct continuity with "Fragments of freedom", other tracks are looking in the electro lounge direction, keeping an organic feel though. "Slow down" with its hypnotic beat, the Chris Rea like guitar solo and Skye laid back vocals is a good example. So are "Undress me now" or "Way beyond".

"Sao Paulo" is an exotic and summery track. "Charango" is almost instrumental with only some rap lines thrown in. It sounds like a future chill out/post-clubbing hit to me. "What New York couples fight about" is one of my favourites. It is a precious and hypnotic trip hop track. The combination of Kurt Wagner's evocative lead vocals and Skye's breathy backing ones is working great and make this song special. It reminds me of "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" soundtrack. I have not heard anything from Lambshop but I might in the future. "Get along" and the atmospheric "Public display of affection" have Morcheeba first albums tranquility and nonchalance. The album closes on a cinematic instrumental "The great London traffic Waden massacre".

This is an album for those who are looking for quiet, soft, relaxing music and soothing vocals. It is the type of music who will insinuate in your head without being noticed. So throw away the shoes, stretch that aching back and take a deep breath, it's time for a break...

Note: There is a limited edition of the album with a bonus CD containing instrumentals of the 12 album tracks. The instrumentals are exactly the repetition of what you already have on disc one minus the vocals (and two original tracks are already instrumentals). Worth it if you're a Morcheeba collector or if you enjoy instrumental background music.

Although this is Morcheeba's fourth album (not including their stint with the "Back to Mine" series), "Charango" is just as fresh and artistic as each of their previous albums. In my opinion, they once again succesfully venture into new ground while keeping the sound that has been their signature throughout their previous releases.
The album starts off with the slow and sensual track, "Slow Down", which is reminiscent of their approach in their debut album "Who Can You Trust?", a nod to their fans from the beginning. They seem to tell you to relax and chill, which is what I loved about Morcheeba from the start.
The next track is "Otherwise", which I felt very easy to get into. This one reminds me of their second album "Big Calm". However, it has a different edge to it as Skye (the lead singer) is blasting a no-good lover, something new from the usually optimistic group. I like it though, this group always tries something new. This may be the track most people would enjoy as it is, I feel, the most mainstream.
"Aqualung" is another track I like due to it's fresh poppy beat which keeps a slight tone of melancholy. It's an interesting mix of instruments but it does maintain an easy harmony.
"Sao Paulo" is another new direction for the band, and possibly the track I love the most. The music is not something I haven't heard before, but the lyrics are ironically powerful, a completely different mood from the background.
"Charango", which features Pacewon, is a cool upbeat groove with sporadic rap here and there. I like this one, pretty urban and chill, but like many of the songs in this album, there's that dark tone.
"What New York Couples Fight About" is another dark urban story set in an otherwise simple tune. Kurt Wagner sings with Skye here, and I feel he does a great job.
"Undress Me Now" is a sensual groove with what I think is a little bit of 70's style thrown in. It's still Morcheeba though and the lyrics are clever. Great slow soothing track, something to use to set the mood.
"Way Beyond" is a another track I enjoy a lot. This one kind of has some 70's groove thrown in too. It's a relaxing tune with an interesting held-back message in the lyrics.
"Women Lose Weight" is like Will Smith singing an Eminem song. This features Slick Rick who I felt does a great job for such a strange release from Morcheeba. I though it was enjoyable to listen to but such a dark story may turn some people off.
Pacewon returns in "Get Along". This sounds like it was made between "Big Calm" and "Fragments of Freedom", the group's 2nd and 3rd albums, respectively. It's a slightly more cheerful song, but once Pacewon comes in it turns around and becomes gritty. Cool track!
"Public Displays of Affection" is another interesting track. It's a frustrating song for me, but I love it for that. Very rough and serene at the same time. Oh, the lovelorn...

"The Great London Traffic Warden Massacre" wraps up the album. It's an upbeat musical score with what I felt was another dark undertone. It's very subtle which makes this song, in my opinion, brilliant.
All in all, for old Morcheeba fans, I think you'll like this album, definitely over "Fragments of Freedom". It has all the good points from their previous releases though this may be their darkest album so far. A very different direction from their norm.
For those thinking of trying something new, go for it. I think "Charango" is an odd artistic foray with contradicting levels that effortlessly intertwine and that makes this album one of Morcheeba's best.

Charango is my first Morcheeba buy and I am not disappointed with any of the lucious, sugary tracks. The first I had heard of Morcheeba was "Rome Wasn't Built In a Day" from Fragments of Freedom and absolutely fell in love with Skye's vocals. Charango only has solidified my new found love for Morcheeba. I am not usually into rap but the tracks "Charango", "Women Lose Weight" (one of my personal favourites), and "Get Along" keep the album from becoming just another album. Some might find "Women Lose Weight" disturbing or odd but when you listen to the story it's actually a really amusing story of a man who wants to kill his wife. It's fun and reminisent of early rap or if you will the fun of a Sir Mix-a-Lot song. But the sweetest moment's come from the laid back tracks. "What New York Couples Fight About", and "Sao Paulo" had me won over and hitting repeat the first time I heard them. "Otherwise", and "Aqualung" are inspired and "Undress Me Now" is just a sexy awesome piece. It's a really great album for getting in any mood, whether for partying or just any kind of fun. It's one of the best album's I have ever heard and I highly recommend.

i went on a CD spree a few days ago and decided to pick up a few more morcheeba albums as i only had big calm, my favorite CD in the whole wide world. i bought both this and who can you trust?, and i love both of them. but this is about charango, so let me get back on track and fill you in.
this is another really great CD from morcheeba. it's more like big calm than fragments of freedom, with lots of laid back, emotional songs and some instumentals. it also has a few rap songs, things i usually avoid, but like all past CD's the rap selections are tolerable. "women lose weight' is kind of disturbing, but skye's little chorus is too fun to sing along with to make complaining worthwhile.
a few songs that stick out to me as truly excellent are "sao paulo" a laid back, rthmyic song with good lyrics. "undress me now" is a sugary, sweet song that leaves me no choice but to sing along. "get along" is another great song that has beautiful vocals from skye. my favorite song on the whole album is "what new york couples fight about" kurt wagner has a great voice, i fell in love with it, and skye's backround vocals plus the backround guitar just make the whole thing incredibly wonderful.
basically this is a really good album. if you like morcheeba but were worried about their future after f of f, like me, then you will be overjoyed with this album. enjoy!

`Charango' was my introduction to Morcheeba and after getting (and loving) this, I went on to get their greatest hits `Parts of the process'.

Morcheeba are UK trip hop/electronica trio, in a similar vein to Portishead and Lamb. Their style is a mix of fusion, blues, and funk with strings, guitars, keyboards, beats and scratches.

Opening track `Slow down' is a mellow, dreamy song with wind like effects and lead vocalist Skye's sultry clear-as-glass vocals. Great guitar! Next is the string swathed `Otherwise' with some delicate guitar. `Aqualung' takes you on a musical swim with its delicate keyboard, guitar and scratches, and ghostly backing vocals.

`Sao Paolo' starts off with some country sounding guitars which give way to a slow, lush tropical sound with ethereal vocals. `Charango' is a fusion jam with some spoken/rapped verses from guest Pace Won.

`What new York couples fight about' is a dreamy, movie like song with spoken verses from Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, and Skye harmonizing and singing the second verse. Very atmospheric.

`Undress me now' is a lush, ghostly sounding guitar ballad. `Way beyond' with its wind like effects is a melancholic ballad with a horn laden chorus.

One of the highlights is the hilarious, groovy `Women lose weight' featuring rapping from Slick Rick. The lyrics tell the tale of a man who wants to do off his fat wife so he can be with his secretary. Morbid and funny, and a very 70s soulful chorus.

The haunting `Get along' features Pace Won rapping, and is a mellow, bubbly, dreamy midtempo retro sound with Skye sounding a bit like Debbie Harry. Fantastic!

`Public displays of affection' is more upbeat but still delicate, and closing track, `The great London traffic warden massacre' is another rich fusion jam. Everything in its right place. Awesome!

Impressive! I like it.

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.

...I bought the new Morcheeba, my THIRD Morcheeba purchase. Lucky me -- I got the 2-CD set (which has a 2nd CD, all instrumentals of the 1st CD). (I skipped Fragments of Freedom because of the reviews from lovers of the first two Morcheeba CDs). I've loved Morcheeba since I bought Who Can You Trust? when it first came out. And I can definitively say -- Charango is Morcheeba in [top] form on [most] of the tracks, although a couple tracks go over as filler. But that's saying a lot for Morcheeba, in a day and age when most CDs have the reverse ratio -- a couple good songs, and all the [rest] filler.

The best songs on Charango -- "Slow Down" - "Aqualung" - "What Do New York Couples Fight About" - "Public Displays Of Affection" have The Signature Morcheeba Sound -- these ALL have that trip-dub, minor-key sound first introduced with "Trigger Hippie" and "Tape Loop" (from Who Can You Trust?).

"Sao Paulo" practically makes you feel the sultry Brazilan heat yet has the trippy undertow you know, expect and love. "Way Beyond" is sung/played in major key, and a light-hearted vein -- and the change from a minor to a major key makes it all the more devastatingly satirical. If I didn't know they were British, I'd think Morcheeba was describing the typical American urban yuppie-(...)-metrosexuals one can find in big-city singles bars/clubs, who drive SUVs they can't afford, and, in general, spend money they don't have on stuff they don't need to impress people they don't like.

I could live without "Women Lose Weight" but that's mainly because I don't like rap at all, unless it's very old (Grandmaster Flash) or Missy Elliot.

Since I got the first Morcheeba CD "Who Can You Trust?", I've heard and read their trippy sound variously described as "trip-hop", "electronica", "the Bristol sound", "groove", etc. All not very helpful descriptions.

What it should REALLY be called "Amsterdam coffeeshop soundtrack music" -- because that's what it IS. Charango (and Big Calm and Who Can You Trust? -- as well as CDs by other artists like Portishead, Euphoria, and Air) is the sound of sitting in an Amsterdam coffeeshop, high on the best house Shiva, sipping a cappucino, dreamily staring out the window at the passing Amsterdammers, choosing to take a few steps back from the world to chill.

If you've been there and done that, you know what I mean. If you haven't, and you can't get to an Amsterdam coffeeshop, just listen to Charango. By itself, in a non-altered state of consciousness, you'll get there in spirit anyway. It's that mellow and that good.

Overall I'm not disappointed in this CD. I bought it back in August of 02 and put it aside to listen to the Vines and White Stripes. I have to say, this cd has grown on me, I'm skipping less tracks and it has found a place in my car. "way beyond" is my favorite song on the cd. It has a smooth lounge kinda vibe to it and Skye's voice is as soothing and placid as ever. Great Cd if you are already a fan, if not start with Big Calm.

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.

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.