THE PRETRIEVER FEATURES August 1, 2000 PAGE 11

I I his is not Johns Hopkins or If you're paying out-of-state tuition, 1 Harvard. We do not have Nobel you may want to consider opting for the T Prize winners in every depart- . dry basil instead of fresh or even garlic I ment, nor do we have a s~uttle made by powder in place of actual garlic. You I Mercedes or even multi-ply toilet paper, may not achieve the same taste-bud tin- I but we especially don't have caviar. gle. but your guests will understand. Fear not ivy-less leaguers; there's Just leave your tuition bill on the table I always cheap imitation. We'll leave to evoke the appropriate nod of sympa- 1 everything else to the Administration, thy. I but caviar is a synch. Not fish eggs, but Here's what you'll need to impress Bruschetta. This Italian hors d'oeuvre is at a state institution: · I pronounced with a hard ''k" sound (brew-ske-ta), and should be pro­ I nounced over and over again in front of College Caviar I your guests. For addition,al snobbery, try I rolling-the letter "r" and feigning a for­ ::J 5 large tomatoes, diced eign accent for this word alone. Be ::J 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic I I secretive about the ingredients, though, ::J Handful sundried tomatoes cut into I if you do reveal them, do so in a seduc- small pieces 1 tive whisper to assqre your peers that CJ Healthy palmful chopped fresh basil this is the finest cuisine a UMBC stu­ or 2 tablespoons dry basil I dent can offer. CJ 1 cup olive oil I Bruschetta may set you back a mere CJ Salt to taste I Andy Earl I Sire Records Group fraction of the grant you need for a fine 0 Stiff Fi;ench or Italian baguette Beyond Trip Hop: The sweet sounds of Morcheeba are created by Sky -Edwards I dollop of caviar, but keep in mind that and the Godfrey brothers. I it's no dime-a-bag ramen from Giant. Threw everything in a bowl, save the I The sundried tomatoes, olive oil and baguette, and mix well. Tough, eh? Morcheeba.'s Marvelous basil could put a healthy dent in your Slice up the bread and toast the pieces. I cooking budget .(read: sacrificed beer Top the toast with a generous splotch of I funds), but thes( <::an only b~ bought in Bruschetta: Serve with the Bruschetta Montage Of Moods And I moderate bulk and will leave you with chilled, the toast warm and your pinky plenty for spare. The sundried tomatoes fingers always ~levated. Your college I are pricey because they're usually from caviar can be stored in the fridge for a Melodies I California (pronounced willi hard cou:­ week or more before risks of any seri- I I sonants in a breathy whisper), which ous food poisoning. ANNA KAPLAN should also not be lost on your guests. · For more hints on snobbery~ write to "?retriever Editorial Staff opening doors you wouldn't expect from I Buy the dried-in-a-baggy variety as [email protected] and I may or heari_ng Who Can You Trust or its follow­ I .Qpposed to the oil-and-jar Qne$. may.not get back lQ you. ..I As the first track of Morcheeba's latest up, 1998's Big Calm. This is what bands are effort, Fragments Of FFeedom, "World not supposed to do these days: change their Looking In," pours into the· speakers, the sound and confuse the listeners. But ·---~~-~---~------~-~ initial listener reaction is to melt, just trans­ Morcheeba does not seem to care about form into a formless ecstatic puddle on the conventions, mixing styles and sounds like floor. The first notes are the smoothest, there is no tomorrow. sweetest trance-pop you've ever heard, The first track toys with your emotions. with the lead singer's truly angelic voice It starts off trip-happy and soft, then intro­ resting on top like whipped cream on an ice­ duces guitars and a unique groove, and is cream sundae. And then there are electric really one of the most orgasmic tracks on guitars, straight out of a blues dream, and the album. The second song, "Rome Wasn't fea1JJres needs you-.•. you are resurrected from your puddle to - Built in a Day," starts with pure pop, then groove your heart out. introduces gospel-reminiscent backup The latter vibe is maintained throughout singers. The next track, "Love Is Rare," has the CD, with synthesizers, soul singers, the makings of an excellent disco anthem. hip-hop and bad-ass funk tunes thrown into At times, you begin to doubt whether this is -- FeatUre& craves you ••• the mix, alternating between the flowing still the same band, but Edwards' voice melancholy sound the band has previously brings you back. Some of the songs pay been known for and storming into the world hoiJI~ge to the trip-hop roots, like the · of pop like they .own it. With the way the melodic "A Well Deserved Break," which is British trio's masterfully executed sound followed by in-your-face hip hop of "Love. runs its course, they may as well own it. Sweet Love" featuring some DJ scratching, This album is in fact a departure for and "In the Hands of the Gods" featuring Morcheeba. The six-year-old band met in rapper Biz Markie. Probably the best song [That last London, and consists of two brothers, Ross of all is "Shallow End," which combines and Paul Godfrey, and the angel-voiced heavy rock-n-roll guitar riffs, violins and Skye Edwards. Their influences are much Edwards' voice at it's absolute best. one was more apparent in this release than their pre­ Music, as a form of expression, is not vious ones: blues, funk, soul, house, hip­ meant to be categorized and made to follow the hop, disco; and the combination, spun into rules. No one knows this better than a fine musical web and infused with talent Morcheeba, who seem to laugh at these and wonderful lyrics, produces a staggering rules in each of their songs. And unlike biggest effect. Morcheeba may be leaning towards other bands who attempt to expand their fan pop, but it is only toying with the surface, base by incorporating different sounds and introducing something entirely different - styles into their music, Morcheeba truly turn-on, whenever you think you have them all fig­ feel and kllow every detail they put into ured out. their creations. Fragments Of Freedom is a ··wasn't it?] Fragments Of Freedom has a mature multi-colored and multi-dimensional won­ sound that is rather surprising if you know der that surprises at every tum. It is full of the band's history. Since 1996's Who Can energy, talent and charm. If their previous Write for Features. You Trust, their first LP, they made melan­ efforts were only able to capture the hearts choly trip-hop their signature sound, weav­ of trip-hop and trance fans, this album lays Call Anna at x 1>260. ing soft trance into picture-perfect lullabies. claim on just about every other music fan in Fragments Of Freedom builds on this base, the free world.