Looking back at Echobelly now, years on from the infectious bullishness of the Britpop era, you find yourself remembering only the gimmicks. There's singer Sonya Aurora Madan, dressed as a schoolgirl at Reading festival or spewing quotes in yet another motormouth interview. There's guitarist Debbie Smith, loud and raucous, out and proud and in your face, yet more great copy. As for the songs, well there was. . . erm. . . hang on. . . you know. . . no, it's gone.
Such was the tragedy of Echobelly: the hangovers proved more persistent than their hooklines. And such, you imagine, will prove doubly true today, when there's no Cool Britannia to keep you distracted. But pressing play elicits a few pleasant surprises. Yes, you remember now: Sonya's voice is gorgeous, a honeyed luxury that makes you want to curl up under a tree with the Caramel bunny. As for the other surprise, well there's something new to contend with.
They've turned into Morcheeba. A blunt appraisal, yes, but them's the facts. A band that once relied on smoke and mirrors have now stepped, blinking, into the mid-morning sun once occupied by Skye Edwards and chums and, oddly enough, the change of pace suits them. Songs crawl along in prime 'Big Sea' fashion, like a globule of mercury making slow but fluid progress, and Sonya's voice has developed a sense of serenity and sumptuousness to match.
Opener 'Fear Of Flying' is probably the best example of this. Over a backing that starts off horizontal and then just chills out with little touches of guitar and the lightest of beats, Sonya calmly melts over five gorgeous minutes. 'Down To Earth' is closer to St Etienne, Sonya's voice thinning a little, but still has charm. And 'Dying' is heartbreak in slow motion, with a heartbeat bassline following Sonya as she pleads, "give me starlight, give me appetite".
It's not all good news, however. The songs that you imagine are slated to be singles try a little too hard and shatter the spell slightly. 'Digit' conquers the uncharted midground between Morcheeba and Hazel O'Connor, proving in the process why no-one's ever ventured there before. And 'Kali Yuga' is a bit too clumsy to really convince, the tacked on Big Chorus making you think of that other relic from the past, Curve. Who? Yeah, well, exactly.
No-one's going to become rich quick by selling the idea that Echobelly have returned with the year's most desirable album, but the hidden demographic that made David Gray and, yes, Morcheeba household names might yet surprise us all. Only time and the word of mouth from a thousand dinner parties will tell. And, hey, that word of mouth has to start somewhere. So, pssst, over here. Guess what? Echobelly have got a new album out. And it's not half bad.
