Sea and Cake
Sea and Cake
Nassau
Oui
The Sea And Cake (Thrill Jockey ’94) Rating: A-
Consisting of former Shrimp Boat alumni Sam Prekop (guitar, vocals) and Eric Claridge (bass), guitarist Archer Prewitt of the Cocktails, and drummer (and producer extraordinaire) John McEntyre of Tortoise, the Sea and Cake make up a snazzy little indie supergroup. Aided by the production hand of former Shrimp Boat drummer Brad Wood (Liz Phair), their debut album is a seductive triumph, with understated guitars and nimble rhythms (that reek of the Caribbean) carrying mellow, swinging grooves. Singer Sam Prekop alternately mumbles and croons in an engaging soul-influenced falsetto, but it's the subtle, jazzy textures that will make your head bop and your hips sway. "Jacking The Ball" begins the album with a melodic, bass-led melody and a catchy chorus, while the band's subtle interplay accentuates their loose, confident grooves. The quality continues on "Polio," but "Bring My Car I Feel To Smash It" shows off the band's weakness in that it's a breezy, easy going pop song, but it also comes and goes without leaving much of an impression beyond the absurdity of its title. I better remember the low-key chants of "Bombay" and the plodding tempo of "Lost In Autumn," but neither is a standout, though swinging highlights such as "Flat Lay The Wayter" and "Choice Blanket" make up for any lulls, as the band are at their best when the tempos are brisk and the melodies light and airy. Elsewhere, "Culabra Cut" is a cool, jazzy instrumental, and "Showboat Angel" brings Pavement to mind, while "So Long To The Captain" features stuttered funk rhythms and impressive guitar playing from Prewitt. Still, it's an overall mood rather than individual songs that makes this album so appealing. Once purchased, this will likely be an album in heavy rotation, as it’s sure to please all manner of sophisticated tastes, whether as pleasant background music or while loosening cocktail party limbs.
Nassau (Thrill Jockey ’95) Rating: B+
By now what had originally begun as a sparkling side project had become a regular (and quite prolific; The Biz would appear later that same year) working band, and Nassau solidified the Sea and Cake’s stature as a delightfully offbeat pop combo. This album is both more rocking and mellower than the debut, but the band are still at their best when constructing moderately involving (on the part of the listener, anyway, as most of these songs require quite a bit of instrumental ingenuity), pleasantly seductive background music. And though it isn't as consistently appealing and doesn’t flow quite as smoothly as the debut, Nassau contains some fine songs as well, and is a more eclectic album overall. The bright organ and brisk pace of songs such as “Nature Boy” and "The Cantina" makes me think that the band had been listening to their fair share of New Zealand pop (The Clean, The Chills, etc.), but once again it's the band's loose grooves and instrumental interplay that remains most impressive. For example, the terrifically titled “A Man Who Never Sees A Pretty Girl That He Doesn’t Lover Her A Little” is little more than a funky little instrumental showcase for their stellar rhythm section, and "Earth Star" starts as a pretty but plodding instrumental before picking up the pace about halfway through, with Prewitt's guitar leading the way. "Alone, For The Moment" plods as well but never picks up the pace, though it has some pretty guitar parts and a sad and lonesome mood going for it, while "I Will Hold The Tea Bag" ends the album by starting slow before evolving into an extended jam session that's all about the groove. In truth, the long song never really realizes it's potential, but "The World Is Against You" shows that the Sea and Cake are capable of strong, concise pop songwriting as well. This point is further proven on breezy pop confections such as “Lamont’s Lament” and the lightly uplifting “Soft and Sleep,” which kinda comes and goes but is enjoyable while it stays, while the absolutely gorgeous “Parasol” is the finest song so far from this fine band.
Oui (Thrill Jockey ’00) Rating: B
The band’s fifth album begins with the breezy swing of “Afternoon Speaker,” which is exactly the kind of song that the band does best, with an easy melodic touch and nimble group interplay that’s as much jazz as rock. “All The Photos” continues with a catchy pop song, one whose chanted “bop bop bop bop’s” are likely a byproduct of McEntyre’s association with Stereolab. Unfortunately, “You Beautiful Bastard” slows things down considerably, and much of the rest of the album could use a little livening up as well. Songs such as the lush “The Colony Room,” as well as the vibes-dominated twosome “The Leaf” and “Everyday,” are pleasant and often quite lovely, but they’re also not terribly exciting, working best as light background music. Sam Prekop sings in a breathy whisper and the band expertly dispenses subtle layers of sound (with electronics playing a greater role than ever before), but most of the songs drift warmly by without really leaving a lasting impression. The pace does pick up momentarily on “Two Dolphins,” while “Midtown” also sees the band at their bright and melodic best. But the leisurely “Seemingly” is an almost ambient excursion, while “I Missed The Glance” similarly plods but with another enticing, synthesizer led melody whose understated intricacies reward repeat plays. So does this laid-back album as a whole, as it further refines the band’s subtle dynamics while increasing their instrumental palette. Sure, some of these songs are faceless bordering on boring, but they’re also never less than pleasant, and Oui makes a nice soundtrack to a lazy summer day.
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