Sam Prekop

Sam Prekop is one enigmatic motherscratcher. With his work in Shrimpboat and in Sea & Cake, as well as on this second solo record, it's nigh impossible to comprehend what he's going on about. Often Prekop appears to be stringing random phrases together as if he were using refrigerator poetry, concocting odd stanzas like "A style of, to rely/I'm feeling all my precious revenge, yeah." But somehow it works. Maybe it's his training as a painter, but the Chicago artist seems to understand that you can get beauty from odd juxtapositions. It doesn't hurt that he's got fellow Sea & Caker Archer Prewitt (whose own solo record just came out) helping with the languid, jazzy guitars and mournful piano doodles. Add in some exotic percussion, a few cornet solos and Prekop's feather-light vocals, and you have sexy café music -- the kind of luscious songs you can study Pablo Neruda to.