THE SEA NYMPHS

Hard to believe this is the same core group of musicians who made up the Cardiacs. This stuff is as artsy and appealingly simple as anything that band did, but at the same time there is a beauty and peacefulness to these short tracks that was certainly not a characteristic of most of the Cardiacs' music.

The most striking thing about these songs is the absence of drums or really any percussion for the most part, nearly all the instrumental parts being provided by a couple of synthesizer keyboards along with a smattering of guitar from time to time. The stilted organ is overpowering at times, giving songs like 'Up in Annie's Room', 'Appealing to Venus' and 'Christ Alive' a heavy and brooding feel when laid atop Sarah Smith's somber vocals. Yet at other times the sound is more like a throwback to simpler times with acoustic-sounding synth woodwinds and minstrelly vocals delivered by the Smiths in unison with backing by Will D. Drake ('Dog Eat Spine', 'Mr. Drake's Big Heart Reprise', 'Nil in the Nest').

And still elsewhere Ms. Smith delivers her own form of vocals in theatrical form, almost vaudevillian at times and especially with the weirdly titled 'A Thousand Strokes and a Rolling Suck' and 'Tree Tops High'.

I'm not exactly sure what to make of this record. I don't really think it's a progressive music album per se, but it certainly is eclectic enough to avoid being classified as commercial or pop in any way whatsoever.

For fans of the Cardiacs I'm sure this is a conversation piece sort of like the Knitters albums were for X fans. Beyond that I'm not sure I'd recommend it for general consumption although I am quite intrigued by what seems to be a strong sense of purpose on the part of all three players. I'm just not sure what the purpose was, and the 'band', as it were, decided not to let most of us casual observers in on the story so we're left to scratch our heads and slide this one back into the stack. Three stars just because it piques my curiosity and is kind of fund to listen to.

peace