Ask yourself this: if the lead singer of your favorite band was replaced tomorrow, but the other members of the group released a new album under the same name, would you still listen to them? A few years ago, fans of the band Morcheeba had to confront this very same question.

For nearly a decade leading up to that point, the band consisted primarily of the same three people: Paul and Ross Godfrey, who composed the music, and vocalist Skye Edwards. Four albums and countless tours had taken their toll and the Godfrey brothers wanted to take their music in a different direction; but Edwards wasn’t on the same page.

The Godfreys recruited Daisy Martey for Morcheeba’s fifth album, The Antidote, but that merely confirmed what they already suspected: they “no longer wanted to share any power with a permanent singer,” according to their Web site. The tour to promote The Antidote was “difficult” and left the band in “near-ruin,” as they’d already decided to part ways with the vocalist. In fact, Paul believes he was “unhappiest when Morcheeba were at their most successful.”

With the release of this year’s Dive Deep and a tour already in progress, the band has been thrust back into the spotlight. Although Dive Deep has several vocalists commanding the microphone, the singing responsibilities for the tour have fallen squarely on the shoulders of Jody Sternberg, a total newcomer to the band.

Most groups tend to shy away from being labeled, even when it comes to the type of genre they fit into. But Paul Godfrey has no problem with the “trip-hop” tag often applied to the ensemble. It’s a phrase that seems to fit the group well.

Mellow and down-tempo, Morcheeba’s music has eased its way onto the soundtracks of various television shows and films. When questioned about collaborating on a film’s score or soundtrack, Paul expressed excitement at the possibility. He even hopes to put together a solely instrumental album sometimes in the near future, he said on the band’s Web site.

This willingness to collaborate with other talents has encouraged the group to post acapella versions of Dive Deep tracks on their website. This was an open invitation to other musicians to mix and remix. Paul happily admitted that some of the resulting tracks were impressive.

“Impressive” only begins to describe the concert that Morcheeba put on at the 9:30 Club on March 24th. The band ran the gamut for the sold-out show, playing songs from five of its previous albums – not an easy task when the lead singer has only been with the band for a few months.

In fact, Jody Sternberg had to perform songs from The Antidote, Big Calm, Parts of the Process, and Fragments of Freedom. The pressure of audience was tremendous and weighed heavily in the air. Jody was able to deliver with nearly unshakable poise, only flubbing one stanza in the entire show. Embarrassed, she turned to guitarist Ross Godfrey, who smiled and coached her through the next words. She quickly regained her composure and the mistake was forgotten.

Morcheeba should be required listening for any music enthusiast, but even those who own each of Morcheeba's albums must attend at least one concert. Since their current tour doesn’t have many stops in the U.S., some travel may be required. But once you get there prepare to relax and “dive deep.”