Moby - Wait For Me Review
Posted by Marshall Slayton on 06.30.2009
Moby brings us his ninth album with the melancholy Wait For Me. Is it on par with his best work, or has the prolific DJ finally jumped the shark?
1. Division
2. Pale Horses
3. Shot in the Back of the Head
4. Study War
5. Walk with Me
6. Stock Radio
7. Mistake
8. Scream Pilots
9. JLTF 1
10. JLTF
11. A Seated Night
12. Wait for Me
13. Hope Is Gone
14. Ghost Return
15. Slow Light
16. Isolate
Moby has studied the rules of his music from fans over the last decade and taken them to heart. They are as
follows:
1. Sampling vocals is a GOOD thing.
2. Use your voice when absolutely necessary. All other vocals must be provided by a female who can actually sing. Do not try to impersonate David Bowie.
3. Instrumentals are welcome.
4. The more violins, the better.
5. We like to dance. But we also like to hold up our lighters for pretty ballads.
With that in mind, Wait For Me might be Moby’s saddest and most complete release to date. It's the ultimate music for a rainy day. Pop it in, sit at the windowsill, and let your mind wander.
The first five songs set the mood to perfection, even though most of it is reminiscent of older material. The introductory instrumental, “Division,” is a cross between the minimalism of “18” and the poppy quality of “Hotel Intro.” The second track, “Pale Horses,” is this year’s “Natural Blues,” with repeated female vocals and faint wailing during the violin-heavy climax. “Shot in the Back of the Head” takes its cues from “Porcelain.” Instead of reverb to violins, it’s distorted guitar -- and the result is total dreaminess.
“Study War” is very much in line with “In This World” from 18. Moby does what he does best: beautiful, ambient sampling. The contrast between old gospel and freshly recorded female vocals works in a way that no other musician can pull off. It’s Moby’s trademark, and it’s great to see him returning to form.
“Walk With Me” continues in the vein of female-fronted vocals. It sounds awfully close to “When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die” from Everything is Wrong, only with a more soulful, religious voice -- instead of a shaky, fragile one.
Moby finally steps up to the microphone for “Mistake,” but after the fine songs he opened with, his voice – for the first time— isn’t unwelcome. His vocals are still monotonous, for sure, but the song is so well written, it's easy to overlook. It’s the closest thing to straightforward rock on the album, but it’s far better than anything from Hotel, and his voice works a lot better for sorrow than for swooning girls.
“A Seated Night” is a mess, but a beautiful one. The use of child choir evokes the coda from Play, “My Weakness,” one of the only songs that’s ever shaken me to tears. This doesn’t quite have the same punch, though it does effectively work as music to have dreams with. The same can be said for the album’s namesake, which uses piano, lush female vocals, and a dash of hip hop to deliver a sound that works best with your eyes closed and your mind rested. By the time the instrumental “Isolate” rounds out the album, Moby has taken you on a long, metaphysical ride with very few bumps.
If there’s one fault to be found on Wait For Me, it’s the inexcusable use of filler. Do we really need a track of bubbly noises called “Stock Radio”? Is a minute-and-a-half prelude to “JLTF” absolutely necessary before getting to the real song? He's got to learn to trim some of the fat.
No matter. Moby’s music sounds exactly as it should at this point in his career, and I'm happy to report that his tank is not running on empty. If Last Night was a long evening in New York City clubs, then Wait For Me is the amazing nap afterward. In this regard, the album is a sequel – and a very good one at that.
The 411: Moby is finally confident and proud of his own work -- and rightfully so. Wait For Me might be his most downbeat album yet, but it's never boring. I just hope he takes a Zoloft for the next one, so he can bring us back on the dance floor and we can jump around like animals again.
