Formed way back in 1990, in Birmingham, Pram have gained,
over the years, a faithful following, as well as solid
recognition. Their factory pop art, tainted of electronic
desuetude, has been source of inspiration for bands
such as Broadcast,
or Stereolab even.
Built around simple, almost child-like melodies, the
songs have all some elements of corruption, the apparent
innocence often distorted by the use of twisted arrangements.
Mostly assembled around previously released songs, Somniloquy
is neither a compilation nor a remix project, but a
little bit of both. The first part of the album sees
the Pram fanfare in full swing, alternating between
songs featuring the characteristically soft, slightly
off-tone voice of Rosie Cuckston, and hypnotic instrumentals.
The feisty Mother Of Pearl, with its old-jazz
gimmick, is a pure moment of perfect pop, the way Stereolab
have been trying to write for years. The first two-and-a-half
minutes of the Way Of The Mongoose, where the
band is seen weaving some unusual instruments together,
don’t let anything out of the gypsy influences of the
second half of this ominous track. The perfectly crafted
Clock Without Hands, however, is considerably
more fragile. Haunted by intelligent lyrics and clever
arrangements, this superb ballade is without doubt the
highlight of this record. The Plone
remix of Bewitched kicks off the second part
of Somniloquy, their playground synth pop only
highlighting the perfection of the Birmingham four.
Plone, whose debut album,
For Beginner
Piano remains a lost classic, make good use
of the Pram sonic workshop. If Play Of The Waves
and Omnichord are given a slight abstract reworking,
slipping into near Boards
Of Canada territory, wouldn’t it be for the recurring
trumpet, in the case of the former, or Super Mario Land
for the later, the closing two remixes could well have
been provided by Pram themselves as the remixers recreate
the band’s universe in a parallel dimension.
Somniloquy is as fascinating and intriguing
as Pram themselves. The album works on many simultaneous
levels, leaving the listeners with the choice of following
whichever one they fancy. It is a shame then than a
band with such talent should remain restricted to a
relatively small audience.
4/5 |
