Mojave 3 - Excuses For Travellers

  by Chris Jones

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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I tend to listen to music to escape thoughts of work, money, relationships, the past, the future, life... and fortunately there are a number of bands that create music that allows me to do just that. I get plenty of opportunity to worry and stress about what I'm doing in life, so why listen to music that makes me feel like all is lost? Well, I guess bands like Spiritualized, Tram, East River Pipe, Galaxie 500, Mazzy Star, the Trembling Blue Stars, and Mojave 3 end up getting a lot of air time from me because they have this incredible ability to make me reflect on life in a way that nothing else can. Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell have been able to depress and uplift me for years now. I can listen to Slowdive albums all day long while lounging around the house thinking about the past - the layered guitars just wrapping me up and comforting me while the breathy vocals make me think of people I miss amd things I wish I had done. I usually end up feeling sort of numb by the time the last album is over. Slowdive is part of the past now and Mojave 3 has become the new outlet for Neil Halstead's songwriting skills. "Excuses for Travellers" is actually the third full length from the band, but in my mind it's their second - the first album seems like a transition from the Slowdive sound to the Mojave 3 sound and I guess I associate it more with Slowdive. My strange maths aside, the recent Mojave 3 albums, "Out of Tune" and "Excuses...", represent a big musical change from the sounds of Slowdive. Where Slowdive surrounded you with the sounds of heavily effected guitars, Mojave 3 leaves you standing there in a much sparser space. The effect pedals have been replaced by acoustic guitars, pedal steel guitars, some horns, harmonica, and even a banjo every now and then. The American, country music sound has never appealed to me that much, but it would be hard to deny the influence that that music has on the Mojave 3 sound. My mom even accused me of listening to country music when I was playing it in my car one day! With the pedal steel guitar taking a prominent position in the mix, the acoustic guitar strumming, Halstead's mellow, somewhat depressing vocal delivery, and lyrics about heartache and feeling lost, well, you've got most of the ingredients for country. Just listen to the first track, "in love with a view", and you'll quickly become acquainted with Mojave 3's version of country. You'll probably also find yourself thinking about an old friend you'd like to see again. Keep listening and before you know it that bottle of whiskey will be running low.

Track Listing:-

1 In Love With A View
2 Trying To Reach You
3 My Life In Art
4 Return To Sender
5 When You're Drifting
6 Any Day Will Be Fine
7 She Broke You Softly
8 Prayer For The Paranoid
9 Bringing Me Home
10 Got My Sunshine

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