Statues (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Statues
Type = Album
Artist = Moloko


Released = October 8 2003
Recorded = 2001–2003
Genre = Electronic, Dance, House, Trip hop
Length = ~57:00
Label = Echo
Producer = Moloko
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ai4zef5k3gf3 link] | Last album = "All Back to the Mine" (2001)
This album = "Statues" (2003)
Next album = Catalogue (2006)

"Statues" is the fifth album from the electronic/dance group Moloko, the fourth of all-new material, issued by Echo Records in 2003.

About the album

After working with live musicians on their previous effort "Things to Make and Do", Moloko returned to electronic territory with this album (although the previous album's organic influences remains, as seen on "Familiar Feeling" and "Over and Over").

At the time of its release, the long-term romantic partnership between group members Róisín Murphy and Mark Brydon had dissolved, setting the stage for Murphy's 2005 solo album "Ruby Blue". "Statues" is comprised of material which describes the various emotional milestones in a romantic relationship (or rather as it comes apart). Moloko toured Europe extensively to promote the album and disbanded shortly thereafter.

Notable album tracks

"Come On" suggests the diminishing sex life of a tense pairing ("Do you remember the way we danced? I wish I could forget it"). The song "Statues" implies isolation in the absence of a distant or departed lover ("If all the statues in the world would turn to flesh...would they be kind enough to comfort me?"). With its evident theme of dissolving romance, "Statues" launched a debate among fans as to whether the songs were about the end of Brydon and Murphy's romantic relationship. [Fan banter in the forums at http://www.roisinmurphy.com offers many perspectives on this release. Further points of view are represented in online reviews at Amazon.com and other such sites.] Murphy would later have this to say in her fan forums: "as regards my long and fruitfull(sp.) relationship with Mark, your right its all there to read in the records we made so i don't need to tell you!" [http://www.roisinmurphy.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=419]

"Familiar Feeling"

The opening track, "Familiar Feeling", is an upbeat remembrance stated as one lover trying to convince the other that the relationship was always meant to be, and it should not be in jeopardy due to jealously and mistrust. The song is elaborately arranged with hints of both Latin and Irish folk music. Brydon's lyrical bass playing can be heard trailing Murphy's lead vocal in the song's bridge,

"Over and Over"

The closing track "Over and Over" assures the audience that the pairing (in the story) has indeed dissolved, and is among the most seriously-stated of Moloko's love songs. It features a lyrical yet simple, winding acoustic guitar line (which echoes in the bassline) and plaintive lyrics such as "Can't imagine where you are, you are all I've ever seen". Moloko have stated they were aiming high on "Over and Over", claiming it took two weeks of work to score just the strings for it. Brydon later said that "There was no compromise with ‘Over & Over’...We all felt it should be allowed to be what it is." [http://www.echo.co.uk/moloko/] "Over and Over" closes the last (known) Moloko studio album.

Non-album tracks

Another track appearing to be from this period was initially titled "Emotional Bankruptcy" was re-titled "Bankrupt Emotionally" for its appearance on the greatest hits collection "Catalogue".

In contrast to the tragic view of love on "Statues", the song "Take My Hand", a relatively upbeat love song, was an outtake. The number featured prominent brass scoring, jazz-funk bassline, and wistful piano, as well as a confident multi-tracked delivery by Murphy that displays solid vocal technique. "Take My Hand" was initially offered as a B-side, and can currently be found at the War Child music site. [http://www.warchildmusic.com/]

Related album information

* Included with some editions of "Statues" is a bonus DVD which contains all of the duo's music videos up to that point.
* First single "Familiar Feeling" became Mokolo's third top-ten hit on the UK singles chart.
* "Statues" peaked at number eighteen in the UK.
* The video for "Familiar Feeling" was directed by renowned photographer Elaine Constantine.
* Statues is an album which is generally released as a hybrid Audio CD/Super Audio CD

Track listing

All songs written by Róisín Murphy and Mark Brydon.

CD

# "Familiar Feeling"
# "Come On"
# "Cannot Contain This"
# "Statues"
# "Forever More"
# "Blow X Blow"
# "100%"
# "The Only Ones"
# "I Want You"
# "Over & Over"
# "Familiar Feeling" (Timo Maas Main Mix) (Japan version bonus track)
# "Familiar Feeling" (Martin Buttrich Remix) (Japan version bonus track)

DVD

# "Familiar Feeling"
# "Indigo"
# "Pure Pleasure Seeker"
# "The Time Is Now"
# "Sing It Back"
# "The Flipside"
# "Dominoid"
# "Fun for Me"
# "Where is the What if the What is in Why"

Singles

# "Familiar Feeling" (#10 UK)
# "Forever More" (#17 UK)
# "Cannot Contain This"

References and notes