Customer Reviews

Morning Light

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a pleasant surprise this CD is...a far cry from the earlier Locust releases which were dark, dissonant trance-techno that were entirely instrumental. Mark van Hoen's project has evolved into a thing of beauty -- now graced with orchestral flourishes and the lush vocals of Annie Williams. Locust's new sound is like a hybrid of Massive Attack and Mono/Hooverphonic. "All in Your Own Way" could easily be a hit single in electronica circles. On an interesting note, one of the greatest trance ambient songs of the 90's, in my opinion, was W.F.O.'s "No-One in the World" (which appears on the Astralwerks' compilation "Excursions in Ambience Vol. 2"...highly recommended!) -- which samples the vocals of Karen Carpenter from "Hurting Each Other" -- and this one-off project was none other than Mark van Hoen! Again, a new version of this song appears on this album, now sounding gentler with trumpets. All in all, an excellent, uplifting album.

As far as undiscovered music acts go, Locust tops my list for the year 2000. I added over 300 CDs to my collection last year, and although there are some CDs I appreciated even more than this one, this is by far the best one that came from out of nowhere, with no trusted recommendation to bind it to me. I bought it on instinct. Good thing!

Locust is a bit difficult to describe - vocals and instrumentation, think Portishead; arrangements, perhaps Hooverphonic; wistful lyrics, perhaps Kate Bush. But they're not a disjointed composite - they have a distinct, unique sound all their own that is quirky, difficult to get acquainted with, and ultimately truly satisfying. They also take some surprising twists, and make them their own - some of their divergent paths include tributes to early 90s shoegazing music (Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, etc.), ethereal bliss (Bel Canto, Opus III), and more.

All I can say is - get this! If you're willing to be adventurous, you'll come away with a rewarding experience that will expand your taste in unusual music. It's a truly impressive piece of work, which I recommend to anyone who likes trip-hop, ethereal, etc.

most of mark van hoen's material under the locust alias has been instrumental ambient music. morning light is still ambient music, but it's also a vocal album. more surprisingly, it's a pop album. it's not radio pop, but thinking saint etienne without the happy, retro slant wouldn't be a stretch. it's got a dark, modern sound to it. thankfully, locust has avoided any hint of the stale sounds of trip-hop that plague every other vocal release anymore. instead a synth-based ambient backdrop and drum loops have been laid down and covered with flute, acoustic guitar, bass, trumpet, organ, bells, etc. the vocalists (both male and female)casually add to the ambiance, usually whispering more than singing. at times the music is rooted in acoustic folk or new age, other times it's electronic drum and bass. not all of the songs work well, especially the simple folk tunes, but at least they are never loud or pushy. it's a very quiet album with dreamy, laid back sensibilities.

I bought this CD based on reviews and instinct. Knowing no other works by component members, Locust's 'Morning light' brings to mind Hooverphonic's Blue wonder Power Milk - Sneaker Pimps - Lamb - and a general experimental and tastefully produced drum and bass plus girl vocal group-ness.

Mark Van Hoen not only writes and composes most of the songs, but he plays multiple instruments on each, and ALL the instruments on a few. I can't remember, but he listed over 10 instruments that he plays. As well, he did the drum programming.

The production is quality throughout, and I'm surprised that some of the tracks were produced so long ago (1993,1995,1997). Programmed uptempo drum breaks, live flutes, sax's, rhodes piano, organs, bamboo pipes, flutes, etc etc etc etc.

Nice big loops and also some nice fluid rhythms. Balanced between the ambient drum and base and the more jazzy. The styling of the vocals might be difficult to get used to at first on a couple tracks, but on others it is sublime.

If you like drum programming, female vocals, well produced tracks and some eclectic chilled instrumentation, you should do yourself a favor and get this. I collect CDs and this is a very welcome addition amongst the similar Lamb, Hooverphonic, Massive Attack, etc.

It gets 4 stars for both quality and it's impressive 1993+ production date.

This is one of my most FAV albums!! It's the greatest and too bad you can no longer order it here but ...alas it's still the most played album in my collection I NEVER get tired of it and I urge ANYONE who's intereseted in it to purchase it right away!!! The album is enjoyable, and every single track is a jewel!!!! It's very soothing and trancey, definetly a keeper and the best track has to be The Girl With The Fairytale Dream!!! I hope you enjoy as much as I do...<@;0)

This overlooked release by Mark Van Hoen's Locust project is a pleasant breath of fresh air in the electronica pop circuit -- a far cry from earlier Locust releases which are dark, dissonant trance techno. With the assistance of Holly Ashton on vocals, Locust has transformed into a thing of beauty (dare I say butterfly?). "All in Your Own Way" could have easily been a hit in the clubs with some additional remixing. Others envelope you in dark and moody ambience; the male vocals and percussion on "Just Like You" remind me of early 80's OMD for obvious reasons. Interestingly enough, one of the songs that appears here -- "No One in the World" -- was previously recorded by Van Hoen under the guise of W.F.O., with a little help from the ghostly vocals of Karen Carpenter. This is one of the greatest songs in the ambient-techno genre in my opinion (now available on the Locust CD single of the same name). The version here features new vocals and is decidedly more jazzy and laid back. All in all, a terrific album in the style of Hooverphonic, Mono, etc. that is off the beaten track of the mainstream.

I've heard Locust's _Morning Light_ described as IDM meets 4AD, and that's pretty much as accurate as it gets. The cut-up guitars, strings and female vocals of "All Your Own Way" suggest a dreamy etherealism grounded by the rhythm, while "One Way or Another" hints at Van Hoen's work with Mojave 3. The modulated guitar strums on "Just Like You" shows that dreaminess can work with male vocals as well. "Summer Rain" is a poppy paean to that warmest of seasons, while "The Girl with the Fairytale Dream" is as hypnotic as the title suggests (same with the gorgeous interlude, "Let Me Take you Back"). But two tracks especially take the cake: "Your Selfish Ways" blows up the album first, a blistering anti-love song that merges the music with lyrics seamlessly. Then, the reworked "No-one in the World," with its new horn line, comes in to show that Van Hoen has had the talent all along, and it's continued throughout his career.

I bought this CD after hearing "The Girl With The Fairytale Dream" on SomaFM. However, this album contains a different version of that song. I like the version SomaFM plays better, I can only assume that version is on the single, which is also available on Amazon.

I'm not at all upset about the purchase, this disk is totally decent dark/moody electronic music. Nothing super-special in my book, but good background accompaniment for social activities. Another reviewer compared it to Massive Attack: that's fair. I've been thinking of it as similar to Portishead, but Massive Attack is probably a closer comparison.

You won't necessarily find innovation in "Morning Light", but really that doesn't matter. I'm not sure what other band I could compare them to, I suppose you could compare them to the French duo Air. Every song here is great, and not only are they catchy, but they're always interesting musically and lyrically. The singer here has a very pleasant voice which I think most people will like as it definitely fits the electro-pop theme of the music. The production is also very noteworthy. The reason I'd give this "5" stars is that every song here is very good, but also for the inclusion of "Your Selfish Ways", "I Am The Murderer", "Jukebox Heart" and "Just Like You". As a whole, this is a very worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in electro-pop. Highly recommended if you can find it!

Highlights include:
"Your Selfish Ways"
"Just Like You"
"I Am The Murderer"
"Jukebox Heart"

Slightly wistful, occasionally intense, tasteful but not boring, experimental but not abrasive--this is a quality release. The opening number "All Your Own Way" seems to signal an uptempo, highly electronically oriented album, but from there it goes into the smooth, almost Norah Jones-esque "One Way Or Another" and becomes a more acoustic, subtle affair. Some of the songs are built around nervous, edgy guitar licks ("Your Selfish Ways," "Just Like You") and others are driven by powerful strings and chords ("No-one in the World," "On the Horizon"). The music carries strong emotional depth without being overbearing, and the contributions of vocalists both male and female are stellar. Highly recommended.