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Album Review
by SashaS
12-6-2004
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| Faithless: what about that dance, Bliss? |
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Faithless: 'No Roots'
(Cheeky/BNG)
Faithless on ‘perverting lies’ mission
Dance music artists are often regarded as pampered, charisma-free prima donnas who churn out soulless music and banal, drugged-up lyrics. And, the fact is - it is mainly true. Faithless are one huge exception, with unique sound and idealistic lyrics, touring with proper musician rather than decknitianing shows… In short, Faithless do confound the stereotype.
The inimitable Londoners have been performing for a decade, selling seven million records around the globe. The release of their fourth album, ‘No Roots’, and embarking on yet another tour is bound to re-establish their reputation as the premiere club-music act that has outgrown such sized venues in favour of the enormodromes long time ago.
‘No Roots’ can be viewed as a concept inasmuch that it deals with mankind’s fate they consider to be - not totally fatalistic. They appear to see a little ray of hope appearing above the bleak perspective. Dido’s again found time, despite that one thing she recently confessed on - “Sex is the greatest thing in the world” - to guest on the title track.
Singer/rapper Maxi Jazz expresses his concern openly on the current single [that disgracefully peaked at #7 in the UK - sign of youth being apolitical?] but that shouldn’t worry the fans because the band’s got some hot dance tracks to keep them happy and in trim, such as ‘I Want More - Part 2’ and the stomping ‘What About Love’. The great/late Nina Simone gets sampled…
The band brought in reinforcement on vocals, LSK, after Rollo - third and non-touring member of Faithless - bought his ‘Outlaw’ album and “we were all blown away by his voice,” commented Jazz and it really enriches, adds to the band‘s dimension. Sister Bliss wrote music and she’s given free reign on several tracks: ‘Sweep’ and ‘Swinger’ - probably the highlight of the disc - swooshing, hightened and airy ambient cut that segues into an eerier piece, ‘Pastoral’, worth exploring on headphones.
Over the past few years, hits like ‘Insomnia’, ‘God is a DJ’ and ‘We Come 1’, may have been favourites with hordes of pie-eyed, ecstasy-gulping clubbers but there’s always been more to Faithless than that, both musically and lyrically, as the new tracks aptly demonstrate. They create intelligent twists on the theme of house music.
Faithless don’t deal in aggression, they prefer massive mass delectation.
8/10
SashaS
15-8-2001
Faithless album ‘No Roots’ is released 07 June 2004 on Cheeky/BMG
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