|
| |
Moby
Last Night
(Mute)
First Appeared in The Music Box, April 2008, Volume 15, #4
Written by John Metzger
Tue April 29, 2008, 06:30 AM CDT
Moby was immensely popular on the club circuit when Play — his
brilliant, genre-bending outing from 1999 — broke through to the mainstream.
Merging Alan Lomax’s field recordings with a series of heady grooves, Moby
created something warm, vibrant, and spiritual from music that typically had sounded
cold and distant. The subsequent attention he received made him rich, though it
also nearly destroyed his artistic credibility. On both 18 and Hotel,
Moby tried to move in new directions, though he also appeared to be totally
content with giving the masses what they wanted to hear. Creatively lost and
adrift — and unwisely using the success of South Side as an excuse to
sing more frequently — he mistakenly spent his time trying to be a soulless rock
star when he really ought to have been emphasizing his distinctive knack for
being a DJ.
Fortunately, on his latest effort Last Night, Moby succeeded in his
bid to make amends for his recently errant ways. Returning to his roots, he
cycled through every conceivable permutation of dance music imaginable, and in
the process, he rediscovered himself as well as his Muse. Although the outing
isn’t quite as eclectic as Play — which, lest anyone forget, also
contained its share of New Age dreamscapes, rock guitars, and hip-hop grooves —
Last Night is its considerably more cohesive, direct descendent. For
proof of the relationship that binds the two endeavors together, fans need to
look no further than Everyday It’s 1989, which marries gospel exaltation
with a pulsating rhythm track. By downplaying his own vocals, Moby allowed
others to bask in the spotlight, though the intricate patterns and textures that
he created dutifully carry the bulk of the load.
A self-described ode to the club scene from which he emerged, Last Night
evokes moods, feelings, and emotions as it carries the listener on a journey
from twilight to dawn. The album begins with the clarity of Ooh Yeah as
crystalline piano, silvery synthesizers, funky guitars, and feathery vocals
combine to capture the twittering excitement of stepping into the shadows for
the sole purpose of spending a night on the town. As the set moves from the
shimmering lights and tribal-beat sensuality of I Love to Move in Here to
the undulating vibrations of Live for Tomorrow to the disorienting,
alcohol-and-ecstasy-soaked haziness of Alice, the music’s intoxicating
power inevitably takes complete command. With its final few tracks, Last
Night assumes a wearily pensive air that seems to signify that the evening
has drawn to a close.
As a DJ, Moby certainly knows the value of getting out of the way in order to
allow his music to tell the story. On Last Night, he does just that. As a
result, it is the most honest, heartfelt, and moving work that he has created
since Play, even if it could have stood for a little editing.  ˝
Of Further Interest...
Gaudi / Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Dub Qawwali
Cheb i Sabbah - Devotion
Various Artists - Mayfield Remixed: The Curtis Mayfield Collection
Last Night is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2008 The Music Box
|
