Zero 7 put their feet on sofas

The latest release from Zero 7, Yeah Ghost, shows a definite change from the previous three releases. After the departure of Sia Furler, the main vocalist on the earlier albums, the group were left looking for somebody to fill her slippers. Luckily they had a few friends ready to step in and help came from Eska Mtungwazi and Martha Tilston. Band co-founder Henry Binns himself also provided vocals on the track 'Everything Up (Zizou)', a homage to the happy head-butter Zinedine Zidane.

The second track on the album, 'Mr McGee', is the best example of their departure from the norm. Here it seems inspiration has been provided by the likes of Gnarls Barkley and Basement Jaxx with its pop influences and prominent rhythms. Guest vocalist Eska Mtungwazi drives the song with her soulful call-and-response, but the track is not what you would expect from Zero 7. 'Ghost symbol', the seventh track on the album, makes for an eerie four minutes of disorientating music and pitch-shifted vocals and is probably best avoided if you’ve just come in from a heavy night. At some moments it seems more like listening to a straitjacketed Aphex Twin rather than the masters of chill-out.

For the long-term fans, there are tracks such as 'The Road' and 'Pop Art Blue', which tend towards their previous material. 'Pop Art Blue' features Martha Tilston, adding the much-desired whispering vocals, but whilst she provides, the listener is still left wanting to hear Furler again. The final track, 'All Of Us', is a perfect send-off for the album with its wandering bass line and sweeping synths, whilst managing to remain subtle enough to give hope that the next installment from Zero 7 may be more promising.

Released 28 September 2009 on Atlantic Records

Words by Alex Drake