Oui by The Sea and Cake

Oui

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Oui

Features

Audio CD (October 3, 2000)

Original Release Date: October 3, 2000

Number of Discs: 1

Label: Thrill Jockey

Reader Reviews
Miles Davis decades ago released an album called "Birth Of The Cool". We know what he meant. Not trendy, but smooth, ethereal, almost cosmic music that bebop honed to a fine point. It's nice to see that the "cool" lives on with The Sea and Cake, and no more so than on their fifth and greatest CD so far, "Oui". The extended intro to "Afternoon Speaker" sets the tone for a lilting dreamy listening experience that conjures images of smoky jazz clubs of the early fifties, showcases the deeply buried drum mix that propels but doesn't punish the groove, offers tasty guitar chording and a touch of modern electronica in their keyboards, and, the most important ingredient, the whisper of a voice provided by Sam Prekop. No other vocal style would work in this atmosphere. The music is so bouyant that any other style, including his earlier vocals on the debut "The Sea And Cake" and "The Biz" would be intrusive. Imagine this CD playing as you travel across a lonely stretch of interstate far away in the middle of the night, with the stars shining, perhaps a lazy waning moon following along for company. As your mind relaxes the music starts to lift off and carry you away. It isn't hard to imagine the vibes being delivered from some unseen but beautiful force in the dark sky as opposed to your CD player. Yes, "Oui" is that good. Transcendent without being overbearing like a lot of jazz can be, mainstream enough to appeal to pop sensibilities yet sophisticated and smart. The quietest moments of Steely Dan, perhaps "Aja"'s "Deacon Blues" or their later work "Two Against Nature" gives one a reference point where they leave off and the Sea and Cake take the most subtle points and build from. This is no clone band, though. It's wonderfully original despite its influences and a huge improvement over the first four efforts, even though the Sea and Cake fans seem to be divided between early and later works. Settle in and drift away.

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