Mojave 3 - Profile
by Anthony Strutt
published: 13 / 6 / 2004
intro
Slowdive and Mojave 3 member Rachel Goswell has just released her overdue first solo EP, 'The Sleep Shelter', and album, 'Waves are Universal'. Far different than anything she has ever done before, Anthony Strutt finds them worth the long wait
I have waited a damned long time to hear solo material from Slowdive and Mojave 3 member Rachel Goswell and for her to do work on her own beyond that with Neil Halstead's bands to which she adds more to than she can imagine. She played electric guitar in Slowdive, co-shared the joint lead vocals and helped to give them their brilliant ambient feel which ten years after their break-up is still felt today in bands such as Mogwai. In Mojave 3, she has been confined to playing bass and singing backing vocals, but all her fans have wanted to see a lot more of Rachel live and on the band's records. Now she has both an EP, 'The Sleep Shelter', and an album, 'Waves are Universal', out under her own name. Neither are the records I expected, as the music on both discs is very gentle and fragile and totally unlike anything by either Slowdive or Mojave 3. Despite having come out on Mojave 3's regular label 4AD, the sleeves also don't look anything like a regular 4AD release, as rather than featuring an abstract photo, they both have pictures of paintings of flowers on the sleeves. The work on both these records has been written by Rachel, Joe Light and David Naughton. A good amount of it features softly strummed guitar lines over the top of which Rachel's soft vocals are draped. 'The Sleep Shelter' opens with 'Plucked', also included on the album, which has appropriately plucked guitar strings, an elegant vocal and is finished off with some string arrangements. 'Sleepless in Tooting' which also ends the album, is more upbeat and has a country vibe with Rachel adding a Beth Orton style vocal. The guitarwork on 'Flying with Gene' reminds me of the intro to R.E.M.'s 'Drive' , while Rachel's vocal on this reminds me of Tracey Chapman. It speeds up halfway through to a sing-a-long pace. 'Sticking with Grace' features electric, rather than acoustic, guitars and you can imagine when listening to it a summer-filled field with Rachel dancing through it singing along to this. The middle 8 sounds very perky in a mid 70"s way. 'Come Rescue Me', the last track, sounds as if Rachel is doing an 'Unplugged' session and here is the only time she actually plays guitar on the EP. As on most of the tracks here, it is all sang in great female singer/songwriter tradition. The EP ends with a celtic vibe and with bagpipes and a cello, both of which are absolutely lovely. 'Waves are Univeral' kicks off with church bells and laid back vocals sung again in a Beth Orton way. 'Warm Summer Sun' and 'Gather Me Up', the first two tracks, are both again calming and elegant, while 'No Substitute', the third track, is more upbeat with electric instruments. More poppy in feel, it is an album highlight. 'Deelay ' is again graceful. After 'Plucked' there is 'Hope', which which once more is another of Rachel's Beth Orton style numbers. 'Coastline'is the loudest track here and has a vocal that sounds like something Rachel would have sung in Slowdive, but without the distortion. For the one and only time on the record, the instrumentation here is reminiscent of Mojave 3's 'Shoulder the Blame' is a sad little number, while 'Save Yourself', has Peter Buck style guitar and a Cowboy Junkies style vocal,and is laidback and cool. 'Thru the Dawn' and 'Beautiful Feeling' are soft and quiet with strong arrangements. 'Beautiful Feeling' also features some flute before the album ends with 'Sleepless in Tooting'. On the whole then, not the records we were expecting but a very pleasant breath of fresh air. Thank you, Rachel. We have waited a long time for this and are not disappointed.
Picture Gallery:-
interviews |
Interview Part 3 (2004) |
In the third and final part of our interview with Slowdive and Mojave 3 guitarist Rachel Goswell, she talkes to Anthony Strutt about her debut solo album, 'Waves are Universal' |
Interview Part 2 (2004) |
Interview Part 1 (2004) |
Interview with Neil Halstead (2003) |
Interview (2002) |
live reviews |
Musician, Leicester, 4/11/2006 and Jazz Cafe, London, 7/11/2006 |
At a two very different shows, an acoustic one in Leicester, and an electric one in London, Anthony Strutt play two fantastic sets |
reviews |
Puzzles Like You (2006) |
Surprisimgly poppy second single from Mojave 3's new album of the same title |
Puzzles Like You (2006) |
Breaking the Ice (2006) |
Excuses For Travellers (2001) |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #5 - ‘We all have good intentions/ But all with strings attached’: Music and Mental Health Part 2
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Allan Clarke - Interview
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Madeline Bell - Interview
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Jimmy Nail - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesBill Wyman - Drive My Car
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Philip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Deep Purple - =1
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Jules Winchester - The Journey
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart