I never really got into Portishead or knew why anyone would compare them to Morcheeba. To me they're night and day. I was turned on to this by British radio that happened to play The Sea. I was blown away just by that. Sky Edwards is amazingly soulful. The title Big Calm says it all. The opening track is like a rapture, Friction and Shoulder Holster are great as a kind of trippy rock R&B. Part of the Process is a track that points to the bands future direction. Truly Amazing.

This is a finely crafted and heartfelt musical work. The recording is clear and not sonically overwhelmed by the bottom end (like many of Moorcheeba's contemporaries). Strings slide in and out with synths, vocals, electric guitars and drum machines in a fashion that really must have been revelatory when Big Calm was first released. Today, 16 years later, it has stood the test of time. Not just a reinvention of hip hop but a truly successful fusion of the new with the old and the untried. Wonderful work, highly recommended.

Just one note: the song "Big Calm" should have an "explicit lyric" notation. Unfortunately, I didn't catch it until I bought the song.

Simply it never gets old. Awesome overall abum

1998 served as the emergence of trip-hop, and Morcheeba, along with Everything But The Girl, Portishead and Massive Attack lead the way. This album was chill before chill became a genre. Do yourself a favor, buy the album, pour yourself a drink, and slide onto a comfy couch while you listen to Skye Edwards flow into your sub-conscious. Yes. it's THAT good.