Since forming in the mid-’90s, Morcheeba have retained a notable level of critical respect for their brand of chilled trip hop, although the contrasting chart fortunes of recent albums (2002’s Charango hit the UK top ten; 2010’s Blood Like Lemonade failed to make the top 100) suggest that, in a commercial sense at least, the law of diminishing returns may be taking hold.
Head Up High is unlikely to restore them to former chart glories. Featuring some catchy melodies and slick production, it’s a solid offering, if ultimately unspectacular. Chilled electro funk is the order of the day, and the band serve up laidback grooves to reasonably impressive effect on the likes of ‘Gimme Your Love’, ‘To Be’ and ‘Hynoptised’.
Varying the dynamic, Morcheeba go for a more uptempo feel on ‘Face Of Danger’, detour into reggae territory on ‘Make Believer’, slip into soulful melancholia on ‘I’ll Fall Apart’, and get all moody on the atmospheric trip hop of ‘Call It Love’.
It’s all nicely polished, but frankly, Head Up High lacks a couple of killer tracks to take it into the stratosphere. Eight albums in and the band appear to have settled for something dangerously close to predictability.

Key Track: 'Gimme Your Love'