Slower, smoother, and more soulful than
Portishead and less pop-oriented than
the Sneaker Pimps,
Morcheeba have an alluringly dark sound that nevertheless remains accessible. As their debut,
Who Can You Trust?, illustrates, the trio has a keen sense of how to make a pop melody seem dangerous and foreign by having it crawl out of the murk of creeping beats and ominous samples. Although the group lacks the visionary spark of
Tricky and
Portishead, and their songs aren't as bracing as
the Sneaker Pimps,
Morcheeba have a distinctive, idiosyncratic sound that makes
Who Can You Trust? entrancing. Although the latter half of the album tends to sound a little samey, without many beats or hooks to distinguish each song, the album remains a hauntingly atmospheric -- and quite terrific -- debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide