Orbital Blue Room

Let me first tell you, I am a fan. I have been from the beginning so
this being their final album I felt compelled to get it. The sticker on
the Cd called it their final album, but you gotta wonder if they
decided that half way through making it! The last couple albums, I have
managed to like, love or at least appreciate everything on them,
contrary to some, but this sadly ins't the case on the Blue Album.
Granted the first two tracks are great, but the foruth track is a
perfect example of what's wrong. The song builds and layers in classic
InSides-era style, slowly and just when you'd think they are gonna add
to it and bring it up to the level of In Sides, it fades and you're
left with the feeling that the song was half baked, partially finished.

The colaboration with Sparks is a completely derivative and annoying
acid track that harkens back to countless compilations from 1993. It's
a real toss off track is it wasn't so annoying to the point of pushing
you to violence. Sunrise, the last track featuring Lis Gerrad, one of
my fave vocalists, merely hints at the greatness they've manages with
Alison GoldFrapp in the past. It almost sounds like someone doing a
tribute to their fave band, Orbital. You know it's time to call it
quits when you're a mere shadow of your former self. I'd never thought
I'd say this, but save your cash and get something else, The Altogether
or Middle of Nowhere, maybe. But for me Snivilization, In Sides, The
Box Ep and the Saint single are the apex of their career and can't be
beat!

Ironically this CD came on the same day as the new one from the
Orb, Bicycles and Tricycles. Perhaps not the same sub-genre but
certainly from the same era, The Orb manage to create something new and
move forward after all these years, something I truly hoped for from
this last CD of Orbital.