Fragments of Freedomwas released in 2000 and not received very well. If critics and fans would have been able to gaze into a crystal ball a couple of years in the future, they would have understood. With the benefit of hindsight, considerFragmentsthe prototypically disjointed transitional record that saw Morcheeba shifting focus from trip-hop to a more well-rounded mix, as Charango completes the journey that may have been bumpy, but with a sweet destination. Once again, guests are brought in to augment the band's sound;Lambchop'sKurt Wagnerreturns to help the electronica act with meditative lead vocals that fit into the film noir soundscape that is &What New York Couples Fight About,& andPace Wonadds his rhymes to two tunes -- the title track, which harks back to the trip-hopping salad days of the group and sees the rapper taking the lead, and &Get Along,& where he makes a more subtle contribution on a dreamy cut that sounds like something from the '70s if they had more modern equipment back then. However, the best is &Women Lose Weight,& which seesSlick Ricksound completely old-school with Morcheeba's pop-soul groove letting his typically clever rhymes and dark comedy dominate the song. Though the appearances of outside musicians is a positive move overall, the remainder of the disc as done by the three members of the group stands up on its own;Skye Edwards' vocals are sultry as she makes all diva-like on lead track &Slow Down,& the string-drenched melancholic &Otherwise,& and the lazy, tropical &Sao Paulo,& and overall her performance makes Charango the band's best record in some time, and for anyone not a purist, it's possibly Morcheeba's best ever.