Sunday 8pm

by

Faithless

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Quite simply one of the most brilliant albums of recent years. The superb musicianship and crafting of beautiful melodies combined with breath taking production and mixing. The album gets better on every listening, as you delve deeper into it's enormity of abstract sounds and sweeping melodies. Crunching beats on songs such as 'Bring My Family Back' and 'Killer's Lullaby' complement the sorrowful but intelligent mournings and proverbs of Maxi Jazz. The album tells stories with it's music, and although listening to individual tracks is fine, lie down in a darkened room, with a pair of head phones listening to the devine grooves of Faithless is a pleasure that should be experienced by all.

Tracks:

1. The Garden - Beautiful instrumental track, one of the highlights of the album. Masterly crafted, there are so many layers of sound to listen. You may recognise the piano riff at the end from a Vodafone advertisment a couple of years back.

2. Bring My Family Back - Track starts with an interlude from Maxi Jazz linking it to the garden. "My world has become everything i've become, contained in the hum between voice and drum." speaks Maxi. The album contains many more little proverbs and quirks on life from the mind of Maxi. The track itself is a 'ballard' of sorts, Maxi speaking the woes of a man losing his family, and thus his life. Soulful backing singing covers the scathing beat, a song of woe and upset that sends a real shiver down your spine.

3. Postcards - A song about touring life. Contains a sample of the 3rd Gymnopedie by Eric Satie, that the songs works around. The beat becomes more and more heavy as the song builds and builds until the last chorus explodes into a firework of chords and singing. Dido provides the vocals - the song uses parts of 'My Lover's Gone'.

4. Hour Of Need - Jamie Catto's writting effort on the album (remember 'Don't Leave' and 'Angeline' on Reverence?). Sparkling chorus really completments Catto's voice.

5. Take The Long Way Home - One of the singles released from the album. Contains a fantastic string riff. The song is one of Faithless 'dance-floor-fillers', a heavy dance beat, being the basis of all the workings in the melody and rhythms the invariably proceed. A song that sounds just as good in a club as on a pair of headphones in your bedroom.

6. Why Go? - Features the vocal talents of the legendary Boy George. Another slightly mournful song, telling the tale of a lover trying to win back his lady (or man in George's case). The simplistic everyday imagery portrayed in the song gives it a real 'rainy-Sunday-evening feel', put fits in beautifully within the context of the album. Again, we here a gospal backing vocal.

7. She's My Baby - Not one of the best on the album, as the meaning of the song is a little confused. A pleasant enough effort.

8. God Is A DJ - An absolutly stomping single that lit-up the dances floors of many of the largest clubs - and still does. The tune is sheer bliss.

9. Hem Of His Garment - Another well-crafted song that beautifully bridges the gap between the clubism of GIADF and S8PM. Dido again provides vocals.

10. Sunday 8PM - Another interlude track, and quite a beautiful one at that.

11. Killer's Lullaby - Possibly the best track on a superb album. Maxi Jazz returns and his voices grinds through a tale of love, murder, suicide and jealousy. An incredible harpsichord solo is the icing on the cake.

Possibly the best album I have ever listenind to.