Excellent, but be warned...
Carla | Monterrey,Mexico | 02/09/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I hope this review helps someone who has not decided whether to buy this or not. I came upon Moloko very very recently, because their song "Cannot Contain This" was on Desyn Masiello's compilation. I was absolutely blown away by the song. So I bought this (well, actually a friend gave it to me)and at first I have to accept that it was not what I expected, because what I heard on that compilation has nothing to do with the original track. So if you buy this expecting dance music, you will be disappointed (I understand that Moloko's tracks have been on many dj compilations).
This album mixes different music styles from jazz to electronic and of course, Roisin's voice is amazing to say the least...this music creates a mood that will remind you of something, though you may not know what that something is. Definitely for listening and enjoying, kind of introspective. In my opinion best track: "Forever More". Music and lyrics amazing."
Fourth and foremost
Johnny Myo | London, UK | 07/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It was mostly out of a sense of loyalty and nostalgia that I bought Statues. I'd felt Moloko's third album release, Things To Make And Do, was a shambolic introduction to the band for new listeners lured by dancefloor smashes Sing It Back and The Time Is Now.
Well, what a pleasant surprise, because what turned out to be their swansong may have become my favourite CD ever. The duo didn't just retread the past glories of kook classics Do You Like My Tight Sweater? and I Am Not A Doctor, but overshot them with a maturity which only bolstered their legendary status.
Roisin Murphy's voice is better here than ever. A friend of mine who dropped by when I was playing it said, "Alanis Morissette on weed", and while you can see what he means, the lyrical approach, while no less intelligent, has a charming idiosyncracy that's so far from the North American sensibility as to make comparisons pretty unhelpful.
And Mark Brydon's always inventive arrangements benefit from a more orchestral sweep than previously. When this is fused with electronica, as in the opener, Familiar Feeling (the version here having a two-minute, staccato intro that's pure anxiety) and I Want You, the effect is pure synesthesia - greater than the sum of its parts. Mind you, the strings on this album would make it worth a punt on their own.
Bouncy slices of dance-pop like 100% and Cannot Contain This helped maintain Moloko's undoubted club appeal, but it's the lyrics that'll have you poring over the insert. They've always been leftfield, to say the least, but these "Party Weirdos" can take on subjects such as obsession, lost love and disappointment as well as any torch balladeer - all with Roisin's brittle, delicately-phrased vocals wrapped deliciously around them.
It's one of those rare albums when you'll have a new favourite track every day. Today, that's The Only Ones (track 8).
Even the melodrama of the final track, Over And Over, at nigh-on ten minutes, manages to feel self-indulgent for the listener, rather than the musicians. Indulge yourself - you might not get as much wear out of a CD for quite a while.
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Sex is not a four letter word
steven macanka | St. James, NY USA | 02/08/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"bought this ditty for my wife. we have been listening to it at least every three days. played it six time over on the first listen. she loves it, and we dance to it at home. where was i when it came out as a new release. wish i had bought it then. it is so sad the band has broken up. the song statues is our least fave. you guessed it, we can not dance to it. they should have put it on another release. with that said, it is a classic dance release. one of the best over the last 15 years."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
