Artist.......: The Sea and Cake
Album........: Everybody
Label........: Thrill Jockey
Genre........: Indie
Catnr........: Thrill 186
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Mar-14-2007
str.date.....: May-08-2007
quality......: VBR/44.1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: http://www.theseaandcake.com
track title time
01. Up on Crutches 03:36
02. Too Strong 02:52
03. Crossing Line 02:46
04. Middlenight 03:32
05. Coconut 02:55
06. Exact to Me 03:39
07. Lightning 04:12
08. Introducing 03:23
09. Left On 04:54
10. Transparent 04:48
Runtime 36:37 min
Size 44,4 MB
Release Notes:
Formed in the Fall of 1993 The Sea and Cake is Sam
Prekop on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Archer
Prewitt on guitar and keyboards, Eric Claridge on
bass and John McEntire on drums, keyboards and
programming.
Oui marks the triumphant return of The Sea and Cake
after a three-year absence, which saw the members
of the band pursue a variety of interests- musical,
professional and personal. The line up of the band
remains Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt, Eric Claridge
and John McEntire. The Sea and Cake formed in 1994
out of the ashes of Shrimp Boat (Sam and Eric), and
The Cocktails (Archer). John was a friend of the
three and had just begun playing with Mosquito who
would later rename itself Tortoise. In fall of that
year the band released their self titled debut
record and followed it with three more, a total of
four in four years, each gaining in popularity, and
critical acclaim. In 1997 after months of touring
in support of their most successful record- The
Fawn, the band decided to take some time off to
focus their energy in other places. Eric went to
work on his paintings with a series of shows in
Chicago and a bi-monthly insert in the Chicago
Reader. Archer recorded his second solo record,
toured and continued to concentrate on his SofÆ Boy
merchandise and comics (published by
Fantagraphics). John played with Tortoise, built a
studio (SOMA) and engineered the Stereolab record
amongst others. Sam painted for his debut solo show
in Chicago and current show at Clementine in
Chelsea, released his debut solo record and toured
extensively. When things began to quiet down in
late 1999, the four began setting aside the time to
record what would become their finest record yet,
Oui. "Surprisingly the long lay off didnÆt seem to
pose any ill effects, some how the distant
perspective supplied a new necessary focus", says
Prekop. There were no impediments as far as
reconvening and songwriting were concerned. Sam
added that "I think (the fact that) Archer and I
continued to work together during The Sea and
CakeÆs down time was crucial. So when we started
writing it wasnÆt like we were starting over, we
were just working in a new context." Recorded at
the 24 track Soma Studios, Oui is a leaner more
pared down recording than The Fawn. The band
recorded straight to tape using contemporary
technology, such as pro tools, for editing rather
than manipulation. After laying down the basic
tracks, the vocals were done at SamÆs house and
then taken back into the studio, syncing them up on
the 2-inch machine. Sam states that his writing
technique remained the same "most often relying on
accidental combinations, or lyrical dissonance to
get ideas started." "I search for words, ideas that
some how resonate with the piece of music," and I
tried to "come up with a stronger melodic presence
vocally". In the end though "our goal was to sound
like a band recorded live in a studio, (and) pretty
much, thatÆs what happened." The band brought in
Paul Mertens to work on the horn and string
arrangements. Paul had played with Archer on his
solo outings and most recently worked with Brian
Wilson, handling the arrangements of BrianÆs 35th
Pet Sounds Anniversary tour. The group, cautious of
letting the songs become too orchestral, decided to
blur the strings amongst certain synthesizer tones
to come up with a hybrid sound. The string
synthesizer combination is best demonstrated on
tracks such as "Seemingly" and "I Missed the
Glance" whose subtle beauty gently washes over you.
Oui is a pop album. From the opening measures of
"Afternoon Speaker" to the serendipitous nature of
"Everyday," Oui is a graceful recording of
elegance, revealing its charms quietly and
continually upon each listen.