Nassau, the Sea and Cake's sophomore album, is even more ambitious and
eclectic than its predecessor: Opening with the bracing "Nature Boy"
and the group's most kinetically charged effort to date, the record quickly
shifts gears to grow dark and subdued. The two instrumentals, "Earth
Star" and the enigmatically titled "A Man Who Never Sees a Pretty
Girl That He Doesn't Love Her a Little," spotlight the group's burgeoning
jazz inclinations, while "The Cantina" is an abstract pop curveball;
Sam Prekop's melodic gifts continue to blossom on the loping "Lamonts
Lament" and the melancholy "Parasol," and the increased
involvement of drummer/producer John McEntire pushes the group into new
rhythmic and textural territory. Another winner.
(by Jason Ankeny, All
Music Guide)
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