Things To Make And Do

Considering the esoteric materials that make up Moloko's unusual sound (trip-hop, funk, drum'n'bass, and a decidedly bizarro pop ethic), the group's music is surprisingly coherent and accessible. Things to Make and Do, the English duo's third full-length platter, is as strong as anything else they've done -- Roisin Murphy's singing style, which combines a wild variety of voices and textures, from impassively chilly to gorgeously lilting to gleefully offbeat, is instantly recognizable and endearing throughout, while Mark Brydon's broad compositional palette runs the gamut from irresistibly straightforward rock/dance grooves ("Indigo") to highly stylized electro/hip-hop programming (the Timbaland-esque "Absent Minded Friends"). Just enough live instrumentation is added to the songs to make them sound varied and human (check out the nylon-string guitar in the flamenco-flavored "The Time Is Now," which faintly recalls Basement Jaxx's "Rendez-Vu") and it adds a timeless quality to the music overall. The duo never falls into any of the cliches of any of the genres they exploit, managing instead to sound consistently fresh, adventurous, and enjoyable. Highlights include the buoyant "Somebody Somewhere" (featuring a rare vocal turn by Brydon) and the flawless, inscrutable "Indigo" (with its nonsensical chant: "Ramases! Colossus!"). Moloko is the best at what they do mainly because they are the only ones doing it. [Includes a dance remix of "Sing It Back" from I Am Not a Doctor.] ~ Andy Hinds