Moby - Innocents (12/11/2013)
Fourteen years on from groundbreaking, internationally acclaimed Play, Moby brings his a-game to do what he does better than any on Innocents. He tells stories of hope and loss, love and pain, in colours of the soul.
Moby has always had immense skill in the production of expansive electronica that aches with humanness. This makes listening to a Moby record at times challenging, and at times life-affirming.
Moby is a master of stirring up emotions within us that are so often buried and denied. These moments are thankfully and invariably followed by moments of relief – the unpredictable discovery of light splintering through a cover of darkness.
The ambient bliss that builds on closing track The Dogs, in its epic 8 minute entirety, is one such moment of sweet aural weightlessness. Almost Home, a collaboration with Seattle's unsung indie hero Damien Jurado, is an immediate favourite – its ethereal vocals and pretty guitar conjure Bon Iver.
The dynamic artist and outspoken activist vegan behind contemporary classics Porcelain and Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? proves on Innocents he has plenty more majestic mood music to share with an ever-adoring audience. This time he chose not to go it alone, and Innocents overflows with collaborations.
On display are the talents of Wayne Coyne (of The Flaming Lips), alt-rock legend Mark Lonegan and the production skills of Mark “Spike” Stent, who has previously had a hand in the sounds of Madonna, Muse and Massive Attack.
From the sweeping theatrics of Saints, to the brooding blue tones of A Case For Shame (with Cold Specks), Innocents is an album that is big, brave and sincere.
Rebecca McCann
Moby has always had immense skill in the production of expansive electronica that aches with humanness. This makes listening to a Moby record at times challenging, and at times life-affirming.
Moby is a master of stirring up emotions within us that are so often buried and denied. These moments are thankfully and invariably followed by moments of relief – the unpredictable discovery of light splintering through a cover of darkness.
The ambient bliss that builds on closing track The Dogs, in its epic 8 minute entirety, is one such moment of sweet aural weightlessness. Almost Home, a collaboration with Seattle's unsung indie hero Damien Jurado, is an immediate favourite – its ethereal vocals and pretty guitar conjure Bon Iver.
The dynamic artist and outspoken activist vegan behind contemporary classics Porcelain and Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? proves on Innocents he has plenty more majestic mood music to share with an ever-adoring audience. This time he chose not to go it alone, and Innocents overflows with collaborations.
On display are the talents of Wayne Coyne (of The Flaming Lips), alt-rock legend Mark Lonegan and the production skills of Mark “Spike” Stent, who has previously had a hand in the sounds of Madonna, Muse and Massive Attack.
From the sweeping theatrics of Saints, to the brooding blue tones of A Case For Shame (with Cold Specks), Innocents is an album that is big, brave and sincere.
Rebecca McCann