January 26, 1999

Sam Prekop

Aided by various postgraduate musicians and [B]Tortoise's John McEntire[/B] (for those inimitable squelches on [B]'Faces And People'[/B], no doubt), [B]Prekop's[/B] style is light and pleasantly restl

7 / 10 With pleasing inevitability, O'Rourke produced (and played on) fellow Chicagoan Sam Prekop's album. Also a member of difficult group The Sea And Cake, Prekop has avoided that band's predilection for making complicated forays into technology and decided, like O'Rourke, to unleash the pop record that has been gnawing at his soul.

Aided by various postgraduate musicians and Tortoise's John McEntire (for those inimitable squelches on 'Faces And People', no doubt), Prekop's style is light and pleasantly restless. And though stylistically affected by Josh Abrams and Chad Taylor's experimental jazz background (check the mournful arpeggios of 'Smaller Rivers'), songs such as 'Showrooms' and the engagingly progressive 'So Shy' mark Prekop out as a genuinely fine and imaginative singer-songwriter. The moral? If you want a job done well, do it yourself.

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