Faithless - Sunday 8pm & No Roots (1998/2004) [Reissue 2006]

Faithless is a British electronic band formed in London, England in 1994 by Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The current, official lineup of the band (as of 2020) consists of Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for the songs "Salva Mea", "Insomnia", "God Is a DJ" and "We Come 1". Faithless has released seven studio albums, with total sales of the first six exceeding 15 million records worldwide. The band announced they would separate after their Passing the Baton dates at Brixton Academy on 7 and 8 April 2011. However, in February 2015, Jazz, Bliss and Rollo reunited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band, but Jazz left to form Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys later that year.

The second album from U.K. electronic dance collective Faithless, Sunday 8pm has neither the rampant grooves nor the arrogant idealism to qualify it as anything more than a random, standard dancefloor record with redundant beats and hoary ideas. Clearly, though, more was intended; the theme running throughout Sunday 8pm is one that celebrates club life with an almost religious enthusiasm. The dreamy soundscapes here alternate between elegantly spiritual (and very new age) drifts and dull, tuneless forays into spacy nowhereland -- and the occasional misguided R&B trips lack soul (not all that surprising, considering the coldness of this band's electronica). The one keeper is "God Is a DJ," eight minutes of club worship that repeats the refrain "This is my church" so relentlessly that you begin to wonder if the Faithless altar includes a turntable and synthesizer along with the usual celebratory offerings.

Not that it was a valid argument before, but with the release of No Roots you can't say "every Faithless album sounds the same" any longer. The 15 tracks are broken into two suites -- seven tracks each -- with a remix of "Mass Destruction" tacked onto the end. Both suites focus on love: love of people, love of humanity, love of peace. There's plenty of conviction, plenty of message, and very little for the club. Headphone-friendly, the album is the best showcase yet for Rollo and Sister Bliss (the musical half of Faithless), as the music (all in the key of C by the way) is stunning. Polished and purposeful, the tunes glide one to the next effortlessly, making this the most thought-out Faithless album yet. Mood is the thing and as a result only a few tracks -- "Mass Destruction," "I Want You More, Pt. 2," "Miss U Less, See U More" -- stand out on their own. But if the album isn't as powerful as one would have hoped, it's very personal. It's a good move since everybody knows the band can churn out a fluffy banger like "Insomnia" anytime they want; now the band's zealous fans finally make sense to an outsider. The album is for the fans, and maybe newcomers with patience and a penchant for wandering introspection. New vocalist LSK's cool reggae toasting mixes well with Maxi Jazz's conversational style, and "You ain't going to nirvana -- or far-vana" is the only lyric that'll cause cringes. More than a placeholder, No Roots is a satisfying album that's like the kid on the cover. It's lovable but requires attention and commitment.