They Say It's a Gateway Drug
(04/10/03 4:00am)
Like its chemical namesake, the numbing and euphoric music of Morphine makes pain bearable, even pleasurable. The slippery, low-fi, blues-rock-jazz sounds slide freely across the blood-brain barrier to bind with opiate receptors, blocking pain sensors, but keeping awareness and sensation intact. Mark Sandman's viscous vocals drip like hot wax through the bass line with Dana Colley's smoky saxophone curls and stretches, and Billy Conoway, solid and steady on the drums, keeps the whole thing from burning up. Warning: it is highly dangerous and addictive.