Shrimp Boat was the band of vocalist Sam Prekop and for a while it was one
of Chicago's best kept secrets. Prekop's penchant for latin and jazz music
and the band's impressive counterpoint recalled the heydays of
progressive-rock and the jagged art-punk of
Minutemen and fIREHOSE.
Volume 1 (Specimen Products, 1991) collects the early works.
Speckly (Specimen Products, 1989 - AUM Fidelity, 2005)
and especially
Duende (bar/None, 1992), recorded in 1990 with Brad Wood on drums,
turned the latin/jazz influence into a wicked vice that Prekop's voice knew
how to tame. Bouncing from free-jazz (Tartar's Mark) to lullabies
(Bumble Bees), and aping the freak-folk of
Camper Van Beethoven
(New Song Waltz, Jing Jing,
the instrumental Back To The Ukraine), Shrimpt Boat
never sounded obvious and never gave in to normality.
The three-cd box-set
Something Grand (AUM, 2004) collects rare and live material.
The experiment became seriously challenging with the complex, elaborate
harmonies of Cavale (Bar None, 1993). The sprightly
Pumpkin Lover opens the album, but it hardly represents what follows.
The core of the album is a set of ballads with horn section that coin a
weird fusion of sweet soul, southern rock and rhythm and blues
(Line Song, What Do You Think Of Love).
The funky Dollar Bill and the doleful singalong
Creme Brulee reinvent this style while it is being invented.
The band serves also more traditional (and humurous) fare like
Duende Suite and Swinging Shell. But the highlight of the
album is a Lou Reed-ian number, both ironic and apocalyptic: Oranges.
The band was capable of playing for three or four hours in a small club in
front of a very small audience. The playing was impeccable and the attitude
was punk.
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Il cantante Sam Prekop si fece le ossa negli Shrimp Boat, che presero
l'abbrivo dal "roots-rock" demenziale di Violent Femmes
e Souled American.
(Translation by/ Tradotto da Paolo Latini)
Speckly (Specimen Products, 1989) ed ancor di piu'
Duende (bar/None, 1992), registrato nel 1990 con Brad Wood alla
batteria, trasformano l'influenza latin/jazz in un peccaminoso vizio che
solo la voce di Prekop sa addomesticare. Rimbalzando dal free-jazz
(Tartar's Mark) alle ninnananne (Bumble Bees), e
scimmiottando il freak-folk dei
Camper Van
Beethoven (New Song Waltz, Jing Jing, la strumentale
Back To The Ukraine), gli Shrimpt Boat sono ben lungi dall'essere
ovvi e non cedono mai alla normalita'.
L'esperimento divenne provocante con le armonie complesse e elaborate
di Cavale (Bar None, 1993). La vivace Pumpkin Lover apre
l'album, ma difficilmente puo' rappresentare quel che segue. Il cuore
dell'album e' un insieme di ballate, corredate di sezione fiati che
coniano una magica fusione di soul leggero, southern rock e rhythm and
blues (Line Song, What Do You Think Of Love). Il funky di
Dollar Bill e il dolente singalong di Creme Brulee
reinventano continuamente questo stile sul nascere.
La band offre anche episodi piu' tradizionali (e divertenti) come
Duende Suite e Swinging Shell. Ma il pezzo forte
dell'album e' un numero Lou Reed-iano, ironico ed apocalittico:
Oranges.
Il gruppo era capace di suonare per tre o quattro ore in un minuscolo
club davanti ad un pubblico piu' che esiguo. Il modo in cui suonavano
era impeccabile, e l'attitudine era punk.
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Prekop resurfaced in Sea And Cake, helped by
guitarist Archer Prewitt of the Coctails
and drummer John McEntire of Tortoise.
Sea And Cake (Thrill Jockey, 1994) is even more experimental than
Shrimp Boat ever was. The drunk and sleepy delivery of the leader is
matched by a low-key, laid-back soundscape of jazz and soul.
Sea And Cake sound like Steely Dan
(or Everything But The Girl)
playing a Lou Reed tune.
Nassau (Thrill Jockey, 1995) expands on those ideas by leveraging
sumptuous keyboards arrangements. The emotional excursion is broader:
the Farfisa-driven Nature Boy is a joyful ditty, while
the cello-accented Parasol is a depressed dirge.
The Biz (Thrill Jockey, 1995) sounds like an inferior repetition of
the same concepts, performed with traditional instruments. The technical
prowess is clearly improving, but somehow it detracts from the inspiration.
The conversion to electronica that took place with
The Fawn (Thrill Jockey, 1997), propelled by
sequencers and drum machines, led to a mellower and more polished
version of the band.
Besides being terribly cold, the new course increased the addiction to
soul, funk, latin and pop.
The solo career of Sea And Cake's guitarist Archer Prewitt began with
In The Sun (Carrot Top, 1997), a collection of
fragile soul-pop embellished with chamber arrangements
(Good Man, Rush Hour, City Ride).
Cardinal's influence is even stronger on
the lush orchestral arrangements of White Sky (Carrot Top, 1999).
Todd Rundgren and Van Dyke Parks would be proud of his
Final Season and Summer's End.
Gerroa Songs (Carrot Top, 2000) continues this trend towards mellow,
mininal, timid
and relaxed easy-listening (particularly the instrumentals).
Three (Thrill Jockey, 2002)
completes Prewitt's "maturation" as a pop arranger. By fusing
Electric Light Orchestra's art of the melodic hook
and Steely Dan's art of the lounge atmosphere,
Prewitt comes up with impeccable nuggets such as
Gifts of Love, Over the Line, Tear Me All Away.
In the lengthy, elaborate I'm Coming Over, No Defense,
Behind the Sun and Sister Ice, Prewitt outlines a more
sophisticated version of this craft, that borders on Canterbury's
progressive-rock but does not quite match the ethereal zietgeist.
Prewitt's Wilderness (Thrill Jockey, 2005) is a more intimate collection
that capitalizes on the experiments of its predecessor. The songs stretch
and shrink, frequently violating the canon of the pop song, while at the same
time maintaining a dignified posture and an organic feeling.
A few rank among his most touching experiences
(Way of the Sun, Go Away, Leaders).
Sam Prekop (Thrill Jockey, 1999) is the Sea And Cake singer's debut, recorded with
help from Jim O'Rourke, and
John McEntire (Tortoise). Its seductive blend of
jazz-rock and bossanova is as unique as effective.
Prekop's second solo, Who's Your New Professor? (Thrill Jockey, 2005),
is a collection of spare melancholy pop ballads.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Paolo Latini)
Prekop riesuma i Sea And Cake, aiutato dal chitarrista Archer Prewitt
dei Coctails e dal batterista John McEntire dei
Tortoise.
Sea And Cake (Thrill Jockey, 1994) e', se possibile,
ancora piu' sperimentale di quanto lo fossero i dischi degli Shrimp
Boat. L'eloquio alcolico e trasognante del leader e' caratterizzato da
profonde e basse tonalita' jazz e soul. I Sea And Cake sembrano quasi
gli Steely Dan (o gli
Everything But
The Girl) che risuonano Lou Reed.
Nassau (Thrill Jockey, 1995) espande quelle idee sistemando
dei sontuosi arrangiamenti di tastiera. L'escursione emozionale e' piu'
ampia: the Farfisa-driven Nature Boy e' uno stornello gioioso, ma
gli accenti di violoncello di Parasol richiamano un canto funebre
depresso.
The Biz (Thrill Jockey, 1995) sembra essere una ripetizione
peggiore degli stessi concetti, risuonati con strumenti tradizionali.
La conversione elettronica che inizia con The Fawn
(Thrill Jockey, 1997), profusa da sequencers e drum machines, conduce ad
una versione piu' pastosa ed ingentilita della band. Oltre ad essere
terribilmente freddo, il nuovo corso incrementa gli elementi col soul,
il funk, la musica latina ed il pop.
Il chitarrista dei Sea And Cake, Archer Prewitt, debutta come solista
con In The Sun (Carrot Top, 1997), una raccolta di fragile
soul-pop impreziosito da arrangiamenti cameristici (Good Man,
Rush Hour, City Ride). L'influenza del Cardinale e'
ancor piu' forte nei lussureggianti arrangiamenti orchestrali di
White Sky (Carrot Top, 1999). Todd Rundgren e Van Dyke Parks
sarebbero fieri delle sue Final Season e Summer's End.
Gerroa Songs (Carrot Top, 2000) continua questo trend con un
pastoso, minimale, timido e rilassato easy-listening (in particolare gli
strumentali).
Three (Thrill Jockey, 2002) completa il processo di
"maturazione" di Prewitt come arrangiatore di musica pop. Fondendo
l'arte della presa melodica degli
Electric Light
Orchestra e l'arte delle atmosfere lounge degli
Steely Dan,
Prewitt se ne esce con impeccabili pepite del calibro di Gifts of
Love, Over the Line, Tear Me All Away. Nelle piu'
lunghe ed elaborate I'm Coming Over, No Defense, Behind
the Sun e Sister Ice, Prewitt abbozza una versione piu'
sofisticata del suo mestiere, sfiorando il progressive-rock di
Canterbury, senza pero' coglierne appieno l'etereo zietgeist.
Sam Prekop (Thrill Jockey, 1999) e' il debutto del cantante
dei Sea And Cake, registrato con l'aiuto di Jim
O'Rourke, e John McEntire (Tortoise). La sua seduttiva miscela di jazz-rock e bossanova e' tanto unica quanto efficace.
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Returning after the two leaders' solo ventures, the Sea And Cake produced
a useless album,
Oui (Clearspot, 2000). Useless
since it merely repeats things they already said in the previous albums, mainly the feasibility of a genre at the border of sensual soul, drowsy jazz and robotic pop
(Everyday, Two Dolphins, Seemingly).
It does so with less daring imagination although with a classier, almost
aristocratic touch (bordering on the madrigal in You Beautiful Bastard).
Even more elegant at the outset, One Bedroom (Thrill Jockey, 2003)
soon reveals its modest ambitions and even more modest results. This
orchestral jazzy easy-listening, disguised as post-rock via rhythmic patterns
and disorienting sound effects, is neither original anymore or entertaining
yet.
Left Side Clouded,
Four Corners, Shoulder Length and Hotel Tell stand out.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Paolo Latini)
Dopo le avventure soliste dei due leaders, i Sea And Cake tornano sulle
scene con un album inutile, Oui (Clearspot, 2000). Inutile, dato
che non fa altro che ripetere cose da loro già dette negli album
precedenti, per lo più la fattibilità di un genere al confine
tra soul sensuale, jazz sonnolente e pop robotico (Everyday, Two
Dolphins, Seemingly). E lo fa senza il pepe dell'immaginazione
ma con un tocco classista, quasi aristocratico (toccando il madrigalismo
con Beautiful bastard).
Ancor più elegante ad un primo ascolto, One Bedroom
(Thrill Jockey, 2003) rivela col secondo la modestia delle sue ambizioni,
e la modestia ancor maggiore dei risultati. Si tratta di easy-listening
jazzy orchestrale, lontamente imparentato col post-rock per via dei patterns
ritmici e degli effetti sonori disorientanti, ma che non è né
originale né d'intrattenimento. Risaltano solo Four Corners,
Shoulder
Length and Hotel Tell.
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Glass (Thrill Jockey, 2003) collects remixes.
Everybody (Thrill Jockey, 2007), wisely coming after a four-year hiatus, restored some confidence in the Sea And Cake sound. Moving away from the intellectual easy-listening muzak that the quartet (Archer Prewitt, Sam Prekop, John McEntire, bassist Eric Claridge) had been refining since Fawn, the album provided a welcome detour into a more energetic kind of rock music (Up on Crutches, Crossing Line, Exact To Me, Middlenight).
The Steely Dan comparison is unfair,
as Sea And Cake has neither the obvious melodic center of mass nor the obvious
dance-rhythmic scaffolding.
Prekop's meticulous sound construction is probably negatively affected by
McEntire's numerous distractions in other projects.
Car Alarm (2008) was a spontaneous free-flowing work that proved the
class of the musicians, but veered ever closer to general-purpose lightweight
muzak.
Prekop took a vacation from his confidential jazz-pop and devoted an entire
album, Old Punch Card (Thrill Jockey, 2010), to pay tribute to the
pioneers of electronic music, playing synthesizer cacophony.
The Sea And Cake's mini-album The Moonlight Butterfly (Thrill Jockey, 2011)
offered the usual polished pop muzak (notably the ten-minute Inn Keeping),
but also a brief ambient electronic composition,
The Moonlight Butterfly.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da xxx)
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