Morphine
Good
In terms of accurately named bands, Morphine ranks high on the list—somewhere between Semisonic and Giant Drag. Morphine (the drug) results in euphoria and drowsiness. It causes insomnia, though named after the god of sleep. All of these contradictory effects well up in Morphine (the band) as well. Good manages to be murky and buoyant at the same time. Where else could the growling angst of “You Speak My Language” live alongside the serene saxophone in “You Look Like Rain”? Describing the logistics of Morphine—no guitars, dude who plays two saxophones at the same time—will blow anyone’s mind, but hearing them for the first time is even more of an inexplicable joy. Only metaphors will suffice. Noir as a color that tinges everything. An undertow. A black market narcotic, but good for you.
-Marty Brown, 2006
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