Albums

Moloko - Catalogue: The Best of Moloko

Alex Worsnip 20/07/2006

Rating: 2/5

There's always something rather amusing about the concept of one or even two-hit wonder bands doing Greatest Hits compilations. You feel they might as well just do a CD-single reissue. Moloko's 'Sing It Back' was undeniably their breakthrough hit, and was a hummable, passable club cut with funky guitars and a sultry vocal; it still sounds appealing now. Its follow-up 'The Time Is Now' was very different but also a hit: a sort of Latin pop piece, more lounge than club. Presumably the idea of this compilation is to bring the rest of Moloko's admittedly varied back catalogue to the attention of the general public, but unfortunately the quality is not very high.

Some tracks are rehashes of the hits ('Familiar Feelings' rides the exact same groove as 'The Time Is Now'), but most of the 13 tracks on offer here just feel like album tracks, and album tracks on a not particularly consistent album at that, rendering the idea that this is a greatest hits somewhat laughable. The wandering funk of 'Bankrupt Emotionally', the almost Goldfrapp-esque 'Indigo', the trip-hop of 'What Is The What If The Where Is In Why' and the manic beats of 'The Flipside' all interest briefly but never really go anywhere. Meanwhile the more obvious single-orientated tracks like 'Pure Pleasure Seeker' and 'Forever More' just can't replicate the quality of the songs they are obviously trying to follow it the footsteps of. It's hard to see who exactly would buy this album - surely anyone interested already has the requisite tracks. Pointless.