In today's review column we have the latest offerings from Moby, Uber Room, The Specials and Van Morrison.
Moby - Last Night
Moby is the undisputed master of Moby, his very own genre of music that defies other classification. This album is packed with sublime, affecting music, delicious, inventive sounds, marvellously emotive vocal performances, and above all the spirit of Moby, genius, visionary and all round decent fellow. Stand out tracks include ‘I’m In Love’, and title track ‘Last Night,’ but it’s hard to select some as better than others because they are all excellent. The whole of his new album is up on his superb MySpace site, ahead of its release date, so can you get over there and enjoy it for yourself, for the princely sum of no pounds and no pence. http://www.myspace.com/moby 5/5
Rikki Wright
Über Room – Looking Forward to Nothing
Every wondered what sort of music they make on The Isle of Man?
Well, if Über Room’s ‘Looking Forward to Nothing’ is anything to go by, it is a pretty lively, with Yes-ish keyboards, Guns’n’Roses- ish guitar, and a perhaps a touch of The Zutons in the vocal. Their songs are catchy, and there is an intoxicating exuberance that invites us all to get on the boat to that mysterious island for a bit of fresh air and fun… http://www.myspace.com/uberroom 3/5
Jessie Alison
The Specials – The Best of The Specials CD and DVD
Twenty audio and sixteen visual tracks from a band that includes Neville Staples and Terry Hall, who were hugely influential in the eighties and still have a loyal following, that is currently increasing once more, as the band come out of hibernation and once more show the world their great music, honest lyrics, and characteristic Ska sound.
Highlights of this release include a live version of Too Much Too Young, Ghost Town with its eerie keyboards, Gangsters and a Message To You Rudi, with its fabulously blarty brass. This is get up and dance music, with a social conscience that never gets in the way of having a really good time. 4/5
Josh Green
Van Morrison – Keep It Simple
‘They mocked me when I was singing this song’ is the first line of the title track, and it doesn’t take long to find out why. Noodling snoozy sub-blues from the master of Dadrock confirms what those who’ve recently seen him live have been reporting - he’s got a whole lot of nuthin’ goin’ on.
He’s drunk deep from the stagnant well of worn out ideas and easy clichés to make an album that is all formula and no substance. Sadly, it’s not even a good formula - just depressing mid life philosophising and heard it all before musical arrangements from someone who’s creative light long since dimmed.
In comparison to the great albums made by the new generation of bluesologists like Jon Amor and the recent album by older generation favourite Robert Plant, the hackneyed old tosh on this album is just a bad joke. No wonder Van the Man got mocked when he sang his song.1/5
Rikki Wright