Mind How You Go
Skye Edwards, former vocalist for trip-hop act Morcheeba, has a voice as smooth as silk. In fact, it's as relaxing as a heavy sedative. This suited her just fine in the sexy, druggy, and futuristic realms of her old band. And for the most part, it works to swell effect on her solo debut as well. The songs themselves are not the focus, which is fine enough given lyrics such as "So love's a stain on a shirt like old red wine."Mind How You Goseems to have been written by a committee going for a younger Starbucks demographic, or perhaps the older people who likeThe Matrixa lot. Recorded with Daniel Lanois and Pat Leonard, the songs are slickly produced pop that tries to balance the line between adult alternative and jazzy electronics. The real star here is Skye's distinctive, awesome voice--a cool and mesmerizing instrument, both strong and subtle at the same time. One hopes that it's even more the focal point on her next outing, or at the very least that she finds beats somewhere which don't sound so lifted from a perfume commercial.--Mike McGonigal