Strange Cargo III - William Orbit

Strange Cargo III is one of a selection of albums produced by William Orbit before his sudden rise to fame with the Madonna co-operation, and since All Saints, etc. It actually is a very good album, it takes a few listens to get into it, but it's definitely worth it. The very cool and funky Time to Get Wise is probably my favourite song, and has a slightly Tricky Maxinquaye sound to it, with a deep hip hoppy kind of vocal, and a dancey instrumental sound underneath. Other note worthy songs include Water from a Vine Leaf, and Deus Ex Machina. The album is very mellow throughout, and will serve well as background music or just generally played. If ...  Read the complete review

Strange Cargo III makes up for the unoriginality of its title with some wonderfully imaginative music. All the usual William Orbit trademarks are here and while some tracks are perhaps less polished than later works there are a few truly stand-out pieces of music on here including my personal favourite "The Monkey King" - a subtle ambient masterpiece. I personally prefer this album to the follow up (Strange Cargo: Hinterland). It's music is diverse and distinctive where the later album seems a little tired by comparison. Of course, William Orbit on a bad day is better than most musicians on a good day ! Recommended. ...  Read the complete review