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Engine · 10-24-2009, 06:18 PM

Track List:
1. Nature Boy
2. Parasol
3. A Man Who Never Sees A Pretty Girl That He Doesn’t Love Her A Little Bit
4. The World Is Against You
5. Lamonts Lament
6. Soft and Sleep
7. This Cantina
8. Earth Star
9. Alone, For The Moment
10. I Will Hold The Tea Bag

Players:
Sam Prekop – vocals, guitar
Archer Prewitt – guitar, organ
Eric Claridge – bass, piano
John McEntire – percussion, EMS VCS3, organ, electric piano
And occasionally:
Poppy Brandes – cello
Marnie Christensen – violin

Recorded by John McEntire 1994

Released by Thrill Jockey 1995

I imagine that the 1990s Chicago music scene was good to The Sea and Cake. Independently produced and ill defined music was well loved so the band must have fit in nicely with the burgeoning independent rock and jazz scenes. Whatever the reason, the band stuck together and made a second album, Nassau. It was their first album that I heard and it holds a special spot in my brain. It’s an idyllic spot where I lounge on a beach and listen to truly interesting and pleasant music; paradise.

Essentially the album expands on the ideas expressed on their debut; Lazy precision, drunken melodies and pure freedom. Here they have added more instrumentation on some of the songs and developed their sound in several directions. The pop songs are poppier and the experimental ones sound more like the math/post rock that was in vogue. In comparison to the previous album, Nassau delivers a deeper musical experience. The first one relaxes me but this one sinks me into the floor several inches.

‘Nature Boy’ opens the album with farfisa driven sounds of a 1960s California beach party. You can almost picture people doing the The Monkey. But then Prekop’s voice staggers in and clears your mind of the Beach Boys. He mumbles, moans, and makes lazy falsetto stabs. Energetic is not a term that I would use for any of his singing but he seems to have abandoned the lethargic, almost-spoken delivery of the previous album. Next is a pretty song called ‘Parasol’. Here we have string-enhanced choruses that are rich with melody. The deep low end and loungy guitars tossed in the mix provide a cushy atmosphere – here’s where you begin to sink into the sand.

The album takes a drastic yet smooth turn on the next song which is an instrumental and essentially a long drum solo by McEntire. Not the traditional Keith Moon type, though. This is more like a simple song where the percussion takes center stage while simply providing the beat. This is The Sea and Cake’s first real post rock song. The percussion is pounding and repetitive, the bass forms an ephemeral melody and the guitars exist only for ambiance. But it’s more than that; it’s a showcase for Mr. McEntire. If this guy had existed as a drummer 40 years previous he would have done battle with Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich.

‘The World Is Against You’ is a return to pop driven by Prekop’s low-key yet pleasant voice and Prewitt’s lounge background. This is a song for your first drinks of a sunny day on a Caribbean beach. ‘Lamonts Lament’ lets the guitars lead with a groovy arpeggio and a funky riff. This is more good-time rock. Prekop goes wild with some muted screeches that somehow remind me of Prince. ‘Soft and Sleep’ is a lullaby for those who are not ready to go to sleep just yet. Maybe one last drink around the campfire is in order and this is the song for it. If McEntire would slow the beat down it would instill rest but his forceful rhythm makes you want to keep going. He gets even more riled up on the next song, ‘The Cantina’ which feels like a parasailing rush. ‘Earth Star’ is some more instrumental post rock where McEntire really plays around with sound. It’s like he took lessons from Jim O’Rourke. ‘Alone, For the Moment’ is the true lullaby. Prekop is as breathy as ever and the guitars are as laid back, the drums even slow down to offer a break from the percussion onslaught. The album finishes up with ‘I Will Hold the Tea Bag’ which is open musical territory. It gives me the feeling that this is what happens when The Sea and Cake just jam. A defined song still comes out but it sounds improvised – like post rock dipped in avant-garde jazz. The longwinded ending of the song reminds of a mellowed-out Bastro move.

Why do I love The Sea and Cake so much? I think it’s because albums like Nassau allow me to listen to easily digestible pop music and still indulge my taste for experimental songs. Nassau is where The Sea and Cake experiment with happy sounds. If I could take only one album with me to a deserted island, it wouldn’t be this one because I would already have all the sunshine, solitude and good vibes that I needed. If I could only take one album with me to a cold, dark place where I would need a lift – Nassau would be a contender.

8.9/10

Nature Boy

A Man Who Never Sees A Pretty Girl That He Doesn’t Love Her A Little Bit

10-24-2009, 06:18 PM	#39 (permalink)
Engine air quote Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: pollen & mold Posts: 3,108	The Sea and Cake - Nassau (1995) Track List: 1. Nature Boy 2. Parasol 3. A Man Who Never Sees A Pretty Girl That He Doesn’t Love Her A Little Bit 4. The World Is Against You 5. Lamonts Lament 6. Soft and Sleep 7. This Cantina 8. Earth Star 9. Alone, For The Moment 10. I Will Hold The Tea Bag Players: Sam Prekop – vocals, guitar Archer Prewitt – guitar, organ Eric Claridge – bass, piano John McEntire – percussion, EMS VCS3, organ, electric piano And occasionally: Poppy Brandes – cello Marnie Christensen – violin Recorded by John McEntire 1994 Released by Thrill Jockey 1995 I imagine that the 1990s Chicago music scene was good to The Sea and Cake. Independently produced and ill defined music was well loved so the band must have fit in nicely with the burgeoning independent rock and jazz scenes. Whatever the reason, the band stuck together and made a second album, Nassau. It was their first album that I heard and it holds a special spot in my brain. It’s an idyllic spot where I lounge on a beach and listen to truly interesting and pleasant music; paradise. Essentially the album expands on the ideas expressed on their debut; Lazy precision, drunken melodies and pure freedom. Here they have added more instrumentation on some of the songs and developed their sound in several directions. The pop songs are poppier and the experimental ones sound more like the math/post rock that was in vogue. In comparison to the previous album, Nassau delivers a deeper musical experience. The first one relaxes me but this one sinks me into the floor several inches. ‘Nature Boy’ opens the album with farfisa driven sounds of a 1960s California beach party. You can almost picture people doing the The Monkey. But then Prekop’s voice staggers in and clears your mind of the Beach Boys. He mumbles, moans, and makes lazy falsetto stabs. Energetic is not a term that I would use for any of his singing but he seems to have abandoned the lethargic, almost-spoken delivery of the previous album. Next is a pretty song called ‘Parasol’. Here we have string-enhanced choruses that are rich with melody. The deep low end and loungy guitars tossed in the mix provide a cushy atmosphere – here’s where you begin to sink into the sand. The album takes a drastic yet smooth turn on the next song which is an instrumental and essentially a long drum solo by McEntire. Not the traditional Keith Moon type, though. This is more like a simple song where the percussion takes center stage while simply providing the beat. This is The Sea and Cake’s first real post rock song. The percussion is pounding and repetitive, the bass forms an ephemeral melody and the guitars exist only for ambiance. But it’s more than that; it’s a showcase for Mr. McEntire. If this guy had existed as a drummer 40 years previous he would have done battle with Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. ‘The World Is Against You’ is a return to pop driven by Prekop’s low-key yet pleasant voice and Prewitt’s lounge background. This is a song for your first drinks of a sunny day on a Caribbean beach. ‘Lamonts Lament’ lets the guitars lead with a groovy arpeggio and a funky riff. This is more good-time rock. Prekop goes wild with some muted screeches that somehow remind me of Prince. ‘Soft and Sleep’ is a lullaby for those who are not ready to go to sleep just yet. Maybe one last drink around the campfire is in order and this is the song for it. If McEntire would slow the beat down it would instill rest but his forceful rhythm makes you want to keep going. He gets even more riled up on the next song, ‘The Cantina’ which feels like a parasailing rush. ‘Earth Star’ is some more instrumental post rock where McEntire really plays around with sound. It’s like he took lessons from Jim O’Rourke. ‘Alone, For the Moment’ is the true lullaby. Prekop is as breathy as ever and the guitars are as laid back, the drums even slow down to offer a break from the percussion onslaught. The album finishes up with ‘I Will Hold the Tea Bag’ which is open musical territory. It gives me the feeling that this is what happens when The Sea and Cake just jam. A defined song still comes out but it sounds improvised – like post rock dipped in avant-garde jazz. The longwinded ending of the song reminds of a mellowed-out Bastro move. Why do I love The Sea and Cake so much? I think it’s because albums like Nassau allow me to listen to easily digestible pop music and still indulge my taste for experimental songs. Nassau is where The Sea and Cake experiment with happy sounds. If I could take only one album with me to a deserted island, it wouldn’t be this one because I would already have all the sunshine, solitude and good vibes that I needed. If I could only take one album with me to a cold, dark place where I would need a lift – Nassau would be a contender. 8.9/10 Nature Boy A Man Who Never Sees A Pretty Girl That He Doesn’t Love Her A Little Bit __________________ Like an arrow, I was only passing through.