Track Listing

1. I Have Seen
2. Polaris
3. Destiny
4. Give It Away
5. Simple Things
6. Red Dust
7. Distractions
8. In The Waiting Line
9. Out Of Town
10. This World
11. Likufanele
12. End Theme

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13342 in Music
• Released on: 2001-04-23
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Zero 7's ability to conjure beautiful lullabies with all the romance of 1960s French pop, as found on their debut long-player Simple Things, would have made them the toast of soundtrack composers and chillout connoisseurs the world over. Unfortunately, two French men beat Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker to the title of Masters Of Comedown Cool, leaving the London duo to a life time of being termed the British Air. And justifiably so to some degree; the similarities between Zero 7's lush cinematic soundscapes and those of Air's Moon Safari and The Virgin Suicides Soundtrack are so strong as to sound almost intentional. Nonetheless, their debut is a truly gorgeous album. All the tried and tested atmospheric tricks are in play--bleeps and whooshes layered over plodding Fender Rhodes chords, swathes of strings and tender trumpet parps--but it's Binns & Hardaker's languid grooves and the soft melancholy of their melodies that make dream-state instrumentals "Give It Away" and "Polaris" utterly enchanting. The real power of Simple Things, however, is in its songs. As beautiful as their ambient strains are, it's when laid beneath the seductive vocals of Australian diva Sia on the ethereal "Destiny" or the heart breaking "Distractions" that their potency becomes apparent. With such moving tracks as these, Zero 7 dispel the notion that Simple Things is just another collection of nice background music and that they're just riding on Air's coattails. --Dan Gennoe

CD Description
This eclectic debut album by the North London duo displays soul, house, easy listening and hip-hop influences. It includes the single 'I Have Seen'. They have previously remixed tracks for Radiohead and Lambchop.

Customer Reviews

Frenchies - 1, Rost Boeuf - 1
Zero 7 ARE very much like Air - and I kick myself for repeating what everybody else has said.

But, I have more to add: for the first half of the album I reckon they actually top their chilled-out, Frenchie counterparts.

The album's very much like Moon Safari, but with more basslines, beats, twists and turns. The first track is a classic, starting with a great bassline. And it carries on much the same, with tracks much more varied (I think) than the Air LP.

The album did start to lose my attention towards the end, however (hence the 4 stars rather than 5). But this perhaps just shows that I've spent too much time listening to the first few cool tracks.

So, if you are an Air fan, we've all establised you'll definitely like this. If you are not an Air fan, or have not sampled them already, give it a whirl. It's certainly good medicine following a hard day in the office.

Enjoy.

Air? no, this is style AND substance...
I felt I had to post a review after so many of the others on this page have, I feel, missed the point or failed to do justice to this magnificent album. The Air comparisons miss the point entirely - (though if you enjoyed it, you probably would love this album) - this is a true soul album in a luscious downtempo style. Their range is quite astonishing, from beautiful soulful songs of loss and hope - This World is without doubt one of THE best songs I have ever heard - a truly great and moving soul ballad. Likufunele reaches the same soulful peak while sampling an African woman's choir and the instrumental Give It Away swoops majestically. Much as I enjoyed Air's 'Moon Safari', 'Simple Things' is on another level of greatness to that album, it satisfies on every level - the lyrics are continually inspiring and the strings and chords satisfy the soul.

Better than Air, believe the hype.

Simple Things, BRILLIANT Album !
I can honestly say that the debut album “Simple Things” from Zero 7 is without doubt the most treasured in my collection. It’s sultry, smooth and ultra chilled, just right for those lazy summer days.

Having heard a couple of their songs on various chillout compilations, I decided to order the album and I can say that it more than met my expectations of them. The album produces a variety of different styles from jazz to soul to trip-hop and their is a great balance between the number of instrumental and vocal tracks.

The standout tracks for me are the catchy bass lines and beautiful background melodies of “Polaris”, the smooth flowing and dreamy guitar cords of “Give It Away” and the excellent vocals and slow moving rhythm of “In The Waiting Line”. To be honest, though, every track has something different to offer and it is an album that I can listen to all day and never get bored of. It’s a very poignant album and I’m not embarrassed to say that it sometimes makes me feel quite emotional when listening to it, such is the excellence of the album.

The superb vocals of Sia Furler and Sophie Barker further immerse you in Zero 7s unique brand of cool, sexy, downtempo music and leave a lasting impression on you and a tingle down your spine.

All in all, this is a brilliantly produced and well crafted debut album from a duo who don’t necessarily get the attention they thoroughly deserve for creating such a musical masterpiece. If your looking for an album that is refreshing, relaxing and let’s you unwind at the end of a long day, then you can’t go wrong with “Simple Things”.