Moby:
Innocents:
Little Idiot:
Out Now:
★★★★
For Richard Melville Hall's eleventh studio album, his first since 2011's elegaic 'Destroyed', the composer becomes director to a handful of guest vocalists including Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, bluesy Cold Specks and gravelly Mark Lanegan. But if your cynical antennae are already sensing any air of desperation on Moby's part to inject some 'names' onto this album, forget it - the man who brought melancholia back to the masses doesn't need to plug any holes because, simply, there aren't any. 'Innocents' is a smashing listen, for the most part, complete, whole and immersive.
Events start well with the epic opening instrumental 'Everything That Rises', a track so awash with grandiose synths that it, if it were a tourist attraction, it would make the Grand Canyon look as interesting as a lay-by. And then there's 'A Case For Shame', a downtempo, sad-face ballad that twenty years ago would have become a Cafe del Mar anthem of sorts, as indeed would the gorgeous canticle that is 'Almost Home', ably sung by Damien Jurado.
Trouble is, we're in 2013 - do people really give a stuff about Moby anymore? Well, they should - 'Innocents' is deeper, more expansive than his previous four or five albums for a start. In paces, better even than his million-selling 'Play' or '18'. There are some truly lovely moments throughout - there's another called 'Going Wrong', a soundtrack made for when TV stations post news of our planet's ultimate demise in a few decades' time. You know, the bit where yet another bus has just blown up in the Middle East, an African despot has finally wiped out his own nation and our own PM gets to sign another treaty allowing the exploitation of just about everybody but him or herself. That footage could be consummated with the following 'hit' 'The Perfect Life', just for pure irony (as sung by Coyne).
Synonymous with being associated with idents, adverts and soundtracks, Moby's powerful melodies on 'Innocents' are some of his best. Those first six tracks are the equal of 'Porcelain', 'We Are All Made Of Stars' or 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad' while the nearest he gets to being low-down and dirty is on 'Don't Love Me' (sung by Inyang Bassey) or 'Tell Me', the other Cold Specks offering.
If you can find the limited edition double CD with the 'Everyone Is Gone' EP, do so - some of the six extra tracks are worth the admittance. Overall, Moby deserves accolades for this intriguing project.
Innocents:
Little Idiot:
Out Now:
★★★★
For Richard Melville Hall's eleventh studio album, his first since 2011's elegaic 'Destroyed', the composer becomes director to a handful of guest vocalists including Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, bluesy Cold Specks and gravelly Mark Lanegan. But if your cynical antennae are already sensing any air of desperation on Moby's part to inject some 'names' onto this album, forget it - the man who brought melancholia back to the masses doesn't need to plug any holes because, simply, there aren't any. 'Innocents' is a smashing listen, for the most part, complete, whole and immersive.
Trouble is, we're in 2013 - do people really give a stuff about Moby anymore? Well, they should - 'Innocents' is deeper, more expansive than his previous four or five albums for a start. In paces, better even than his million-selling 'Play' or '18'. There are some truly lovely moments throughout - there's another called 'Going Wrong', a soundtrack made for when TV stations post news of our planet's ultimate demise in a few decades' time. You know, the bit where yet another bus has just blown up in the Middle East, an African despot has finally wiped out his own nation and our own PM gets to sign another treaty allowing the exploitation of just about everybody but him or herself. That footage could be consummated with the following 'hit' 'The Perfect Life', just for pure irony (as sung by Coyne).
Synonymous with being associated with idents, adverts and soundtracks, Moby's powerful melodies on 'Innocents' are some of his best. Those first six tracks are the equal of 'Porcelain', 'We Are All Made Of Stars' or 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad' while the nearest he gets to being low-down and dirty is on 'Don't Love Me' (sung by Inyang Bassey) or 'Tell Me', the other Cold Specks offering.
If you can find the limited edition double CD with the 'Everyone Is Gone' EP, do so - some of the six extra tracks are worth the admittance. Overall, Moby deserves accolades for this intriguing project.
