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61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Moby's back on track. This is his most accessible and elegant album since Play., June 30, 2009
The American film director David Lynch has inspired Moby, with his speech at the BAFTA Awards stressing how commercial demands shouldn't diminish personal creativity.
This prompted him to retreat to his New York home studio to determinedly record a highly-personal statement intended to be listened to as a whole, even starting his own record label to release it.
A resolutely 'do it yourself' effort, Moby recorded his new album in his home studio, drew the album artwork with a black sharpie on copy paper, asked his friends to record the vocals and asked another friend, photographer Jessica Dimmock, to take the press photos.
In addition, friend Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros; Throbbing Gristle; M83) came on board to help mix the record. Moby and Thomas mixed the record using purely analogue equipment in true stereo, akin to how records were mixed in the late 60s. As a result, the songs sound pretty amazing on headphones.
Away from label interference, the album shows glimpses of his best work.
The whole album sounds pretty amazing, and marks his return to Moby's earlier style, far from that one used on recent, more experimental works.
After the euphoric club peaks of Last Night, Moby has returned to gorgeous downtempo strings and melancholic synths, topped with vocals from friends on tracks such as the reflective, femalesung "Jtlf", though the percussive, heartgripping "Walk With Me" builds on a cracked gospel vocal, while "Study War" shows Moby has lost none of his campaigning edge - the political, or a political message is clear and defined.
Elsewhere, "Wait For Me" sounds like Massive Attack at their haunting, hopping best, and the closing track "Isolate" imagines Scottish electronic duo Boards of Canada playing ambient on downers.
"Wait for Me" is a personal and intimate record: moving in a chill-out direction after last year's housey "Last Night", the gently melancholic concoction of ambient soundscapes, string washes and ethereal piano lines slips down nicely, not least on "Pale Horses", featuring the heart-stoppingly plaintive vocals of cult New York singer Amelia Zirin-Brown.
Having tried a number of variations on the theme since his multi-million seller "Play", he has returned to the spirit if not the body of his most successful work.
Rather than the achingly soulful sounds lovingly recreated there, this is more Nordic, all plaintive strings and wistful vocals.
Paradoxically, in making such an intimate album with no regard for chart success, Moby has produced his most accessible and elegant work since Play.
In all, there are 16 cracking tunes here, also proving Moby hasn't lost the innovative touch that made him so famous in the first place.
Moby's fans will be delighted he's back to his best.
My Favourite tracks: "Pale Horses", "Study War", "Mistake", "Hope Is Gone" and "Isolate".
Enjoy!
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Refined And Tender Moby Masterpiece !, June 30, 2009
"Wait For Me" is a tender, refined and predominantly ambient CD of nonpareil electronic music that has some of the most melancholic, majestic and poignant soundscapes of Moby's career. It was recorded in Moby's home studio with the help of some very adept female vocalists. "Shot In The Back Of The Head" is one of the most harrowing and surreal instrumentals ever composed. There are many other great tracks such as "Division" that is laden with vintage synthetic strings. "Hope Is Gone" is a ballad replete with pathos. "Ghost Return" and "Slow Light" are driven by weeping keys. "Walk With Me" is accompanied by a grieving female voice. "JLTF" is resplendent with piano augmented by sad lyrics. "Pale Horses" is a brilliant vocal song that is emotive and grievous. "Seated Night" is a monastic and mystical instrumental. The boundlessly talented Moby has composed profoundly yearning and lush songs that make you want to cry in joy, sorrow,lament and angst. He's truly a peerless techno master who creates songs inducing mania to sounds that will arouse feelings of pity, compassion, sympathy and sorrow. Much of the music is sombre and stark but Moby is a musician with a spiritual heart of gold.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mournful and melodic! Very chart non-bothering..., June 30, 2009
Chilled out, and ambient best describe Moby's latest CD "Wait for me". It comprises swirling hypnotic and relaxing strings (soothing and swelling in turn), gentle beats, some instrumentals, and some vocals; a sharp contrast to its more big-diva Dance-oriented predecessor "Last night". "Pale horses" featuring some soothing female vocals repeating "Put me on a train / send me back to my home" is a perfect example.
The mood is downbeat and melancholic, with aural pieces that could act as a backdrop to some epic movie (the trio of instrumentals "Shot in the back of the head", the acoustic "Scream pilots" or "JLTF1" and "JLTF"- the latter with spare vocals - especially). In fact, the few vocals there are stand almost in the background, letting the instruments take center stage.
"Study war" features Spartan lyrics (male Preacher-style vocals crying for no more war) set against a cinematic backdrop, and is closest in feel to anything off "Play". "Walk with me" sounds dirge-like, with tremulous fragmented female vocals (Soul singer Leela James), "Mistake" has gently stomping beats, guitars and male harmonies, while "A seated night" sounds like a visit to some ancient monastery.
Title track "Wait for me" features female vocals against cascading piano sounds, and closing cut "Isolate" is a guitar/piano instrumental with an ethereal feel (as is much of the CD really). At first listen, everything tends to sound the same, but repeated listening is required to appreciate its beauty. The album should really be listened to as one piece, much as Moby intended it to be, and I don't really see any single(s) being hits, but what do I know.
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