One of the coolest albums of recent years was Morcheeba's 2008 offering Dive Deep - the band's second album following the departure of original vocalist Skye Edwards.

Her replacement Daisy Martey hadn't even lasted the length of The Antidote (2005) promotional tour, and for Dive Deep the band decided on an experimental approach showcasing a wide range of exceptional vocal talent.

It was a strategy that worked to perfection, Judie Tzuke's contributions - Enjoy The Ride and Blue Chair - being just two of many highlights.

Perhaps surprisingly, as the break up of the original line up - conceived as a trip hop trio - hadn't been on the best of terms, the follow-up, Blood Like Lemonade, sees DJ Paul Godfrey and his multi instrumentalist brother Ross reunited with Skye Edwards. Although allegedly, the album was constructed at arms length with contributions carefully stitched together in the studio.

Not that any of that matters a jot, because Blood Like Lemonade is another gem, picking up where Dive Deep ended and delivering a stream of cool ambient grooves with blissful rhythms and beats underscoring Skye Edwards sublime vocals.

The album deviates from that formula only briefly - on the gentle I Am The Spring where the backing is, unusually, simply an acoustic guitar, and on two experimental blues based pieces of techno - Mandala, and Cut To The Bass - a slab of industrial strength funk that will have your woofers on overdrive.

But from virtually the first groove to the last Blood Like Lemonade dives deep into the pool of sumptuous cool, pearls surfacing at every revolution. For a brief moment earlier this year it looked like Sade might reclaim the crown of cool with Soldier Of Love. Blood Like Lemonade knocks it into a cocked hat.

*****

Review by Pete Whalley