Mojave 3 is more melodic, less noisy than before
Indie music fans might be reminded of some other band when they listen to Mojave 3's latest effort, Ask Me Tomorrow . If so, that's because Mojave 3 is the new name that Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell, formerly of shoegazer music veterans Slowdive, are calling themselves after their switch to the 4AD label.
Along with the new name comes a rather drastic switch in style from the textured space-age layering of Slowdive to the completely acoustic sound in Mojave 3, although Halstead and Goswell still provide the soothing vocals. The lack of fuzz in the acoustic sound of Mojave 3 exposes Halstead's voice as a tad raw and limited in range in contrast to the liquid melodies of the guitars and keyboards, but this is not the case with Goswell. Her vocals still carry their sweet ethereal feel from the Slowdive days. She really anchors the pieces, especially when Halstead chimes in. Both Halstead and Goswell interchange, combine and spotlight their singing so much on Ask Me Tomorrow that it is a bit reminiscent of another 4AD band, Pale Saints, on their album In Ribbons .
All of the songs flow into one another, whether intentionally or not. Particularly impressive is "Love Songs on the Radio," a gentle, winsome piece with Goswell's voice rising softly above a simple backdrop of piano and guitar. Halstead's turn to shine comes with "Pictures," where his lonely voice explores the realm of deep sadness without ever raising his voice beyond a shadow of frustration.
It's probably safe to say that Halstead and Goswell's days of washing their music with a haze of mixing and texturing a la their shoegazer counterparts are done. Their work on Ask Me Tomorrow is a bold and courageous step in a new direction, even if it is certain to alienate some old Slowdive fans. However, it has become apparent with the release of Souvlaki that Halstead and Goswell have explored just about every corner that Slowdive could without becoming completely derivative. Mojave 3, born from Slowdive's ashes, is the response to the question of whether Halstead and Goswell have reached the limits of their musical range. With Ask Me Tomorrow , that response is a fervent no.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the April 12, 1996 issue.
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