Album Reviews
As the frontman for Shrimp Boat and the Sea and Cake, singer-guitarist Sam Prekop mapped out a musical universe where avant-pop and frilly fake jazz could share the same bandstand. Prekop's solo debut is an insidiously seductive exercise in chill-out cool; the best tracks brush up against you like a gentle breeze. Accompanied by a Chicago indie supergroup that includes guitarist Archer Prewitt and percussionist Chad Taylor, Prekop concocts quiet storms from quasi-samba beats, swelling strings, cascading melodies and his own whispered vocals. His compositions constantly morph into fascinating new shapes: "The Company" starts out as a frenetic rumba, then turns into fractured art rock; "Faces and People" weds a furious rhythmic crosscurrent and a circular guitar riff to a chorus of Miles Davis-like muted cornets. Fortunately, Prekop never lets his mind lead his heart too far astray; even at its most obtuse, this album shimmers. (RS 807)
MARC WEINGARTEN
(Posted: Feb 9, 1999)
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Track List
- Showrooms
- The Company
- Practice Twice
- A Cloud To The Back
- Don't Bother
- Faces And People
- On Such Favors
- The Shadow
- Smaller Rivers
- So Shy
Your Turn
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