| Admittedly, 18 isn't a million style miles away from its predecessor, but this can only be a good thing. If it ain't broke (and let's face it, Play was a pretty hole-free record all told), then don't fix it. Hence the dominance here of Moby's heartbreaking way with strings, pianos and those sampled gospel vocals he's so cleverly made his own. "In My Heart" is familiar territory: a mournful blues voice sat astride the epic swell of military drums and tear jerking symphonia, while further tales of love gone bad surface on the bass-driven "One of These Mornings" and the subtle house simmer of "Another Woman". Is there anyone else out there that can do grief you can dance to? Thankfully "We Are All Made of Stars" does shed a little optimism, and there are some cool collaborations here too. Sinead O'Connor lends fragile breath to "Harbour" while MC Lyte and Angie Stone bring sassiness to the funky hip-hop anthem, "Jam for the Ladies". Welcome back, little man. --Claude Walls |
