British ambient maestros Zero 7 were one of a plethora of groups to seize on the fresh stylistic blueprint provided by Air’s Moon Safari, and use it to further explore the new realm of dreamy soundscapes so brilliantly realised by Messrs Dunckel & Godin. Their 2001 platinum album, Simple Things, though perhaps a little too indebted to the Parisian down-tempo aesthetic for its own good, nonetheless saw the group fashion a highly agreeable collection of warm, funky and laid-back tunes, which were the aural equivalent of inhaling a particularly alluring brand of perfume.
The follow-up, When It Falls, utilises a broadly similar musical palette, to equally impressive effect. The opening ‘Warm Sound’ does exactly what it says on the tin, with Zero 7 regular Mozez delivering his patented ethereal vocals over a gorgeous collage of funky keys and quivering flute, whilst ‘Home’ and ‘Somersault’ feature dreamy electro effects orbiting wonderfully hypnotic bass grooves.
However, the three-song suite at the centre of the album, comprised of ‘Passing By’, ‘Over Our Heads’ and ‘When It Falls’, is the undoubted highlight. With each track segueing seamlessly into the next to create the perfect mood of quiet bliss, this is mainstream chill-out music at its very best. ‘Over Our Heads’, in particular, with Mozez’s space-age croon and the other-worldly string-arrangement, is quite possibly the apex of Zero 7’s output to date. Elsewhere, guest vocalists Tina Dico and Sia Furler are superbly cast in the role of 21st century chanteuses for the elegiac likes of ‘The Space Between’ and ‘Speed Dial No. 2’
As ever with ambient music, the resolutely down-tempo palls somewhat towards the end, and there are undoubtedly one or two moments of self-indulgence before the running time is up, but When It Falls nonetheless sees Zero 7 continue their adventures in stereo in highly accomplished fashion.