Zero 7 'Simple Things'
March 25th, 2002 by freddie96
ZERO 7
Simple Things
(Ultimate Dilemma)
For those not in the know, Zero 7 released a five track vinyl EP just over a year ago on their own label, which was extremely well received, not least for its anthemic ballad ‘This World’, sung in a spine-tingling wobbly falsetto with large dollops of tenderness by Mozez. This was instantly elevated to anthem status by The Big Chill, and later picked up by Gilles Peterson for his ‘Worldwide’ CD. They were subsequently signed to Ultimate Dilemma, and started to plan this release, which they’d been working on for a while. In the meantime their remixes of Lambchop’s ‘Up With The People’, Terry Callier’s ‘Love Theme From Spartacus’ and Radiohead’s ‘Climbing Up The Walls’ have justifiably accelerated the cult of Zero 7. Comparisons with Air pretty much miss the point, though it must be said that both acts share a rare gift for melody, harmony and emotion through music.
On this highly anticipated first long player, Zero 7 seem to have headed off into even more organic territory and come up with a timeless classic destined for the ‘best albums ever’ lists in years to come. Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker are masters of restraint at the best of times, but the new tunes that appear here are lush, mature and supremely well-crafted. Chock full of enough detail to keep the most ardent headphone listener over the moon with its deep production detail, but sounding totally natural and effortless at the same time.
From EP1, there’s the classic instrumental ‘Out Of Town’ (here given a new gloss for the album version) with its breezy brass and airy vibes, as well as the classic lop-sided percussive polyrhythms and stirring Afro gospel chant of ‘Likufanele’. Another absolute classic. What more can be said of ‘This World’? I must have heard it well over a hundred times now and it moves me in a way that very few tunes have ever done. Mixmaster Morris was talking to me about it recently saying that in a perfect world it should be a long-running No.1 on the singles charts. It soars, it flies, it transforms, it’s life-affirming. It pulled me through one of my darkest months a year ago when my partner was involved in a serious car crash and I was stuck out in Australia. It goes deep. Other than saying that this is undoubtedly the greatest soul ballad ever written, I’ll leave it well alone. I’m far too close to it.
Give It Away’ from the second EP has also become a massive chill-out tune for its easy rolling but deep, funky acousto-pop instrumental groove with bass guitar, drums and fender Rhodes stabs, overlaid with a shimmering ornamental guitar melody and triumphant, soaring strings. Somewhere between effortless and anthemic – just perfect. Another classic, in fact. ‘Polaris’ starts in a languid lounge mood with electric piano and synth leading the melody, strings hovering and shimmering a la John Barry or even Percy Faith. Then to a darker vibe, a sound more reminiscent perhaps of the Radiohead connection, a neat drum pattern and some unsettling synths on the outer fringes of the stereo placement – and back into a brief snatch of reprise of the main theme as the track gently fades.
In ‘Distractions’, Zero 7 virtually invent a new space country hybrid with a delicious melt intro. The gritty female lead vocal from flamboyant Aussie maverick Sia Furler further gives it a gorgeous lilt with a twist of Americana – ″I think that I love you, I think that I do″ – over subtle washes of electronica. Classic timeless pop music.
From the new tunes, the opening salvo is ‘I Have Seen’ which may well be the next single with its worldly wisdom and another Mozez vocal. Sia returns to sing another acoustic soul epic – ‘Destiny’ with some classic layered harmonising. The title track is a downbeat affair, with a male vocal – Mozez again. A late night feel with a world-weary nonchalance which has ‘laissez faire’ stamped all over it. A deep calm and spirituality pervades. Another instrumental, ‘Red Dust’, starts with strummed acoustic guitar and acoustic piano, which morphs by dub into a relaxed hip-hop groove sprinkled with electronic fairy dust and gently undulating synth washes. Then that killer Fender Rhodes is in there again, with another killer melody, trading lines with a distant flute, and then joined by strings and trumpet to create a chamber film music ensemble sound. Moving picture music to soundtrack your life. And just when you’re beginning to get comfortable, it moves on again….
Waiting Line’ is currently my favourite newly-discovered track on the album, with a lush close-miked, resigned yet reflective female vocal by Sophie Barker – ″wasting my time, in the waiting line, do you believe what you see?″ More strummed guitars, easy rhythm section and Fender Rhodes. A warm aural Jacuzzi. Finally a little bonus that isn’t credited on my unmastered pre-release copy – an instrumental string coda in a reggae rhythm that brings to mind the high register strings that characterised the duo’s classic unreleased remix of Mos Def’s ‘Umi Says’. Deliciously throwaway on first listening, compulsive on repeated plays.
The world waits. Simple as that. PL
