Morphine
Rating: 8
The Night (Dreamworks)
Let this be a celebration and not a wake. As most know, singer and songwriter Mark Sandman
suffered cardiac arrest and died last summer while performing. The document left behind is
the continued exploration of a singular sound, best described as "sexy." Sandman's
slide bass, the drumming of Billy Conway to hold tempo and Dana Colley's sax virtuosity that
starts somewhere along the Nile and ends in barroom blues. And when Morphine throws a party,
you want to find it and figure out how to get in, even when the directions say, "Top Floor,
Bottom Buzzer."
Sandman's lyrics paint vivid metaphorical pictures: "You're the night, Lilah,
You're a bedtime story," he sings in the title song, the album's opener. Later,
he describes a souvenir from nowhere; since it's nothing, it fits well in his pocket.
Especially poignant are his songs of break up or separation that can echo sentiments
of Mark's friends and fans today. "Leave your world + join me soon/ Leave your world
behind," he sings in "Like a Mirror." The same song offers the album
dedication: "I'm closer to you than I seem."
The music's too good to be maudlin. The spirit's still with us. Recognize the tragedy but
celebrate the audio pleasures left behind. From Billy Conway: "We want people to hear
this music: there's light in performing these songs. The best way to remember Mark is to keep
his music alive."
-- Tim Frommer
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