His Name Is Alive - 'His Name Is Alive' (4AD)
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
The initial signs - Morcheeba in particularly soporific mood - did not bode well. With the title-track clocking in at over eight minutes just two songs in, 'unhurried' hardly does it justice... Quite frankly, despite Lovetta Pippen's suitably seductive vocals, you'd do well to stay entirely attentive for its duration.
Yet, luckily, HNIA eventually break away from the elevator-music-style saxophone noodling in favour of something rather special. It comes in the form of an Eddy Grant-penned number called 'Teardrops'. And, frankly, it's every bit as soulful and uplifting as Primal Scream's legendary 'Movin' On Up': opening with simple yet instantly memorable acoustic guitar, and transforming into a hands-in-the-air gospel unifier as soon as the blissful piano kicks in.
From such a moment on, the entire affair is chilled without ever becoming too dull, although proceedings do receive a welcome perk on the funky 'Storm', reinvigorating the listener to the former glory of said-earlier number.
So, really, this record is the kind of stuff that will be just the ticket for those looking to soundtrack the post-club hours until sunrise, Pippen's voice undoubtedly able to raise the humblest of tunes into a sky-gracing sensation. If only they were somewhat more sparing with that aforementioned sax, though.
Artists in this article: His Name Is Alive
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