A Trip Hop Gem: Nathaniel Merriweather Presents... Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By 

Released in 2001, this album is the debut album by Lovage, a collaborative project headed by Nathaniel Merriweather(Dan the Automator) with Kid Koala and the vocal team of Mike Patton and Jennifer Charles. With such collaboration, the expectations are high; and the whole album lives up to the expectations by blending trip hop, downtempo, jazz and existential elements.

A mix of downtempo beats and lush instrumentations, the whole album creates a lounge-like atmosphere with steamy lyrics, and hypnotic vocals.

The smoothly sensual downtempo beats pair with the sensual lyrics and ballad-like storyline of the songs. Each piece carries the seductive tones but at the same time there is a quirky, satirical edge that keeps the album from taking itself too seriously. Each track plays with the conventional laws of romance and sex by creating an intriguing and humorous tone of the performance and act of intimacy.

The album consists of 15 tracks in total and my ultimate favorites are:

"Book of the Month" "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)" "Anger Management" "To Catch a Thief" "Sex (I'm a...)" and "Stroker Ace" If you are new to this album and if I managed to catch your interest, let's dive into some of the lyrics and then I'll leave you to listen to the whole album and lose yourself to this sensual journey.

You and me are a disease and the germs are spreading

Use me like Listerine, keeping your breath fresher

Feel the stroke of your paintbrush, my blank sheet of paper

I'm your book of the month, read the fine print later.(Book of the Month)

Eyes intertwine through the haze

Intoxicated by your bloodshot stare

In all of my dreams I never thought I'd see

A face that could launch a thousand ships (Anger Management)