Sam Prekop, Sam Prekop (Thrill Jockey) 9+
Sam Prekop's body of work has always reflected a logical progression. In Shrimp Boat and The Sea And Cake he explored country folk, jazz, soul, African, and Caribbean rhythms, and electronica, all within a consistent indie-pop sound. For his first solo album, Prekop is adding Brazillian bossa nova to his palate. Rather than steal the straight 50s rhumbas like so many nostalgia fetishists who shall go unnamed, he merely takes a part of its essence and updates it for the 90s, not unlike Arto Lindsay and Vinicius Cantuaria's latest works. Prekop and Lindsay also share a soft, breathy singing style that floats over and through the music like lillipads on a moonlit pond. And like Lindsay, he has assembled a group of diverse, crack musicians who make the fusion of diverse styles sound relaxed and effortless. They include guitarist Archer Prewitt (The Coctails, The Sea And Cake), upright bassist Josh Abrams (Town & Country), violinist Julie Pomerleau, and Chicago Underground Duo's Chad Taylor (percussion) and Rob Mazurek (trumpet). This album's secret weapon, however, is the production and ambitious arrangements by former Gastr del Sol and avant-garde trickster Jim O'Rourke, who's currently on a Van Dyke Parks kick. The centerpiece is the instrumental "Faces And People," with a hypnotic guitar-rim shot loop and muted Miles Davis cornet. The songs sound deceptively low key, but O'Rourke helps pack the delicate songs with picky, intricate details that still have room to breathe.
