JAZZ AND POP REVIEWS : Morphine Proves Odd but Compelling

Morphine’s seedy and thick baritone rhythms oozed off the Troubadour’s stage Friday like a seasoned drunk pours out of a lounge--anesthetized yet coolly composed.

The guitarless Boston trio’s great show proved the band to be a uniquely compelling force in the realm of oddball pop. Morphine, which uses sax, two-string bass and drums, doesn’t exactly fit into any one genre, but has become increasingly popular in underground rock since its second album, “Cure for Pain,” was released last year. It’s the unexpected appeal of Morphine--its low-key blend of bar-fly blues, post-punk discordance and quirky edge--that grabs you.

Singer and bassist Mark Sandman growled and moaned down-and-out lyrics in deep tones and harmonized with creeping sax interludes. Sax player Dana Colley who, like other band members, looked like he just rolled out of bed, played consistently cool but edgy melodies that would erupt into Angsty climaxes. At one point, he played two horns at once, while drummer Billy Conway banged out fast then slinky beats somewhere between ‘60s pop and kitschy, lounge jazz.

Morphine can pull an incredibly rich and seductive sound out of a weird and minimal combination of instruments and hit grooves that will stick in your head for days. But more impressively, the trio does it with a gutter-style charisma that anyone who’s ever felt on the skids, or simply had a hangover, can relate to.