A rare occurrence, Moonraker has succeeded in combining several genre styles to produce an album that is more than a glorified mix tape. Their self-titled album mixes rock, trance, jazz, and soul to create a unique sound that thankfully still has a bite to it.
Perhaps the mix in sound is a direct reflection of the mix in band members. Comprised of a classically trained pianist, a self-taught bassist, a chef, a sonic healer, and a huge Muddy Waters fan, vocalist Kelli Scarr gracefully rides the waves of the music, as the instrumentalists gel together to create some interesting musical textures.
The most promising indication on the album is that the three strongest tracks are the bands most recently written - "Salamander Skin," "Can I love," and "Connected." The latter, the definitive standout song, starts off in a slow and melodic whisper by Scarr, then breaks out into an intense dance beat with essential harmonies that support her vocals. Most interesting is her ability to maintain a sincere level of intimacy across the varying range of the bands' stylistic approaches throughout the record.
Though, like many early recordings in a band's career, in some of the 'genre mixing' there is a tendency for the band to drift too far into a forced jazz realm. For a band like Moonraker, this unfortunately only neutralizes their spark. A couple songs start off with an edge, then slowly smelt into others that eventually sound like repeats of previous tracks.
"Moonraker" will be released on September 23, followed by a brand new studio album, titled "Peeg Vater", in February 2004.
