Record Rack

It’s fitting that the Boston trio’s final album--finished shortly before founder Mark Sandman died of a heart attack while on stage in Italy last summer--is all nocturnal transmissions, bathed in vivid shades of dark. But then, everything Morphine did was an exploration of the night.

The band’s sound tapped into primal blues and rock mysteries by forsaking all but the low notes.

Yet this unintended epitaph holds more in its shadows than earlier efforts. Subtle touches of keyboards, guitars and even female backup singers dart into the sonic fields here and there as the sound moves from rollicking to lulling. And on the languorous, ether-soaked “Like a Mirror,” Sandman melodically breaks the blues-rock mold and creates a hypnotic dream journal lyrically--later offering another twist of similar elements on the aptly titled “Slow Number.”

“Rope on Fire” explores frustration and futility with rich images, while the somber note of the closing “Take Me With You,” given the circumstances, takes on added weight. The night may be dark, but Sandman knew that once your eyes adjust, it can be a very colorful place.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.