''The Antidote'' is the fifth
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
by
Morcheeba
Morcheeba is an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members vocalist Skye Edwards and the brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey. They mix influences from trip hop, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced ten regula ...
, released in May 2005. It featured
Daisy Martey on vocals, who replaced
Skye Edwards
Skye Edwards (born Shirley Klaris Yonavieve Edwards; 27 May 1974), sometimes simply Skye, is a British singer-songwriter. Her career began in 1994 when she and the Godfrey brothers (Paul Godfrey, a DJ, and Ross Godfrey, a multi-instrumentalist ...
. It was the band's first album with Echo Records. The album reached 17 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
.
Singles
The album was supported by three singles; "Lighten Up", "Everybody Loves a Loser" and "Wonders Never Cease". The latter was co-written by Jody Sternberg who would later join the band on tour.
Critical reception
''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' gave the album a 2.7 out of ten, remarking that Daisy Martey replacing singer Skye Edwards was like "an
Angela Lansbury
Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...
replacing a
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
".
Most reviews were more favourable, if somewhat tepid. ''Prefix Magazine'' gave it a six out of ten, noting the new direction of the band was "definitely welcome." PopMatters called it a solid album, but argued that Martey's style played against the Godfrey brothers' strengths, referring to the majority of the album as a "disappointment".
BBC Music
BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network.
Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...
, on the other hand, delivered a strong recommendation, noting its eclectic style, and ending its positive review with "For the malaise brought on by much of today's dance-by-numbers, it's an antidote, indeed."
Track listing
All tracks written by P.Godfrey, R.Godfrey, D. Martey except track 1 - written by P.Godfrey, R.Godfrey, J. Sternberg.
Charts
References
Morcheeba albums
2005 albums
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