"No Sign Of Morning" is the 5th full-length release from UK trip-hop/electronic combo Moonshot.
As a general frame of reference, think about a much darker, more sinister Pet Shop Boys, or a Massive Attack with more slighty more in the way of pop sensibilities and you would not be far fromt he overall sound and mood of the album - though I must add, better than the first comparison would make it seem.
The sound across the 10 tracks on offer is consistent in style, marrying slow, eerie beats with at times, gothic electronic sounds and melodies. It mixes the gritiness with a certain beauty that draws the listener in.
The vocals on the first track seem strangely over-familiar, "No Sign Of Morning" are especially reminiscent of The Cooper Temple Clause. That said, "Who Turned The Lights Out?" and "Point Of Focus" add a female vocal that successfully adds a different texture to the overall sound.
To complement the dark, serious sound, the lyrics are intelligent in their subject matter, though not without their humour at times. Album highlight "This Is England" explores what "being English" is about, including our obsession with making tea when things go wrong!!
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Final track "Rollercoaster" is a challenging listen, seeming to portray someone's madness, while sounding like something Bowie would concoct in one of his more experimental moments.
Overall, "No Sign Of Morning" is a decent album. There are some good songs, it is well recorded/produced and the general atmosphere it creates make it a release with some substance. While it is, at times, too much of a product of it's influences to be regarded as truly innovative, it is distinctive and shows there is life yet in the UK trip-hop scene.
www.moonshotmusic.com
www.myspace.com/moonshotmusic
www.emlrecordings.ning.com
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