Somber mood

Moby's message isn't obvious in Wait for Me | Arsenio Orteza

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To what extent should a musician's political ideology or religious faith affect a fair-minded listener's response to his music?

The question is easy to answer when the musician in question writes overtly political or religious songs. It's tougher to answer when his songs seem to come from a less obvious place.

One would be hard pressed to deduce from Wait for Me (Little Idiot), the latest album by the techno-rock superstar Moby, that its creator is a self-described bisexual Christian who supports PETA, opposes war, and campaigns for Democratic Party candidates. Half of its 16 songs have no lyrics at all, and the lyrics of the other eight function more as impressionistic verbal minimalism than as fully formed thoughts.