Asif Khan Inc.

Wait for Me – Moby

Repeating success isn’t an easy task; especially if creations which bear the hallmark of being called standard bearers are already your progeny. After all, Herman Melville wrote just one Moby Dick to achieve a lifetime of eternity. Genius, though, doesn’t lie furtive in glory achieved once. Not only does it lie in making that attempt once again, but going back to inventing the wheel all over again, as they say. Putting fan and record pressures aside isn’t an easy task either. Moby decided to take this less trodden path, though. On his ninth studio album, “Wait For Me”, Moby has tried to do everything he has not done in the past few albums. Most importantly, he cut himself loose from all bindings during the creative process to focus on something as personal as it could get. The result is exuberating with the brilliance of a sheen, which could best be identified with the muted tones of moonlight bouncing off the calm serenity of flowing water.

It is no surprise upon discovering that there is an air of melancholy looming large over the entire album. After all, pain is one of the most powerful personal feelings known to mankind. Moby, while cocooning himself into his two bedroom apartment to work on this album from his home studio, fills it with sentiments which could be found in no space other than your personal aura. Most tracks are instrumental in nature, with minimal use of vocals. But wherever present, they have been used to an effect which serves to accentuate the delivery of the instruments. Loss of love coupled with feelings of guilt and remorse abound on the album. The slight refrain in the progression of keys served alongside humming female vocals layered atop each other in harmonization exhorting you to “Wait for Me” sums it all on the title track. These aren’t industry heavyweight names which lend their vocals; they are Moby’s neighborhood talent waiting for discovery. Discovered they lie now, as you immerse yourself in the haunting beauty of the voice on “Hope is Gone” which lays bare the ravaging emotion undergone upon experiencing love second time around. Similar is “Jltf1” which builds an instrumental intro on keys and guitar, and makes way for vocals on the following “Jltf” which progresses into a standard rock entrée with subtle keyboard nuances garnished by headily nimble female vocals. “Division” makes for a perfect beginning to the album, with its short delivery on the keys. A perfect echo to this instrumental track is found later in “Stock Radio”, a heavy on reverb sound clip of less than a minute. “Mistake” seems to be a bit incongruous, with its up-tempo treatment of beats and male vocals; the subject though remains the same. The best of all though, is reserved in the form of soft gospel vocals trimmed upon “Walk with Me”, and the soaring soul vocal samples of “Study War”. And how could you keep aside the abstinence atop “Pale Horses”, mixed with the psycho thriller laden instinct of “Shot in the Back of the Head” (the video for which is incidentally shot in animated motion by good friend and legendary director, David Lynch).

“Wait For Me” is no “Hotel” or “18”; it contains none of those dance happy club tunes. Nor does it have the form of energy that consumed “Play”. The form of energy here is different. Call it age, if you want. But Moby has transformed his sound to make this one of his most accessible albums, which can be played in the emptiness of your room, minus the gallivanting crowd.