In its late-1990s heyday, the British band Morcheeba was linked gorgeously to the sensual vocals of Skye Edwards. On its 1996 debut "Who Can You Trust?" and the 1998 follow-up "Big Calm," Edwards' sultry cadence stood atop the trademark lounge beats of group co-founders Ross and Paul Godfrey in a way that set them apart from such trip-hop counterparts as Portishead and Massive Attack.
While their de facto frontwoman split from the group after their 2002 release "Charango," Ross Godfrey maintains that a reunion was never ruled out. "We always knew that we were going to make another record together," he said, "but it was just waiting for everybody to be in sync."
Last year's "Blood Like Lemonade" marked Edwards' return to Morcheeba. During her seven-year break, she released two solo albums. The Godfrey brothers kept the project alive with two albums and a parade of contributing vocalists, but Edwards' stand-ins failed to match her seductive swagger behind the microphone.
The causes of the group's original schism remain a bit obscure. Regardless, time seems to have healed any wounds. Ross Godfrey is enthused about the reconciliation -- one that arrived with newfound collaboration. "One thing that was important for all of us, especially Skye, was that she wanted to be involved with the whole record," he said. "She didn't want us to just make an album and then try to get her to sing a few tracks on it."
The group agenda shows on "Blood Like Lemonade," where Edwards' vocals are not merely accents to the Godfrey brothers' smooth styling. The album opener "Crimson" actually underplays the group's subtle mixing techniques, allowing the vocals to carry the track. It is one of many moments in which Edwards howls with a newfound bravery.
"She's much stronger as a vocalist, very confident," Godfrey said. "When we first worked with Skye, she didn't really want to be a singer at all, and she used to whisper into the microphone."
The record also finds the brothers dabbling into less pristine realms of samples and manipulation. Tracks like "Mandala" are carried by heavy blues twangs and folk strings, respectively.
One has to wonder whether the trio can build upon its ambient records in a live setting. If nothing else, the group has been enjoying the experience -- something that seems to stem from an industry culture change.
