Sam Prekop: Sam Prekop : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

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