Fawn, The

Q - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...this is 40 minutes of bewitching analogue alchemy...about as catchy as pop songs without choruses are ever likely to get." Musician - "...takes the mature, jazzy progbop of those first three discs on a trip into the silicon valley of MIDI sequencing, computers, and electronic rhythms. The approach yields immediate dividends in the groove department..." Entertainment Weekly - "...adds subtle electronics and drum machines to their previous albums' richly textured mix of jazzy guitar, smooth electric piano, and ambling drums. Full of airy, spacious grooves, THE FAWN is as graceful as its namesake." - Rating: A- Entertainment Weekly (4/4/97, p.85) - "...adds subtle electronics and drum machines to their previous albums' richly textured mix of jazzy guitar, smooth electric piano, and ambling drums. Full of airy, spacious grooves, THE FAWN is as graceful as its namesake." - Rating: A- Q (5/97, p.128) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...this is 40 minutes of bewitching analogue alchemy...about as catchy as pop songs without choruses are ever likely to get." Musician (7/97, p.90) - "...takes the mature, jazzy progbop of those first three discs on a trip into the silicon valley of MIDI sequencing, computers, and electronic rhythms. The approach yields immediate dividends in the groove department..."

After releasing three albums in just over a year, The Sea And Cake ended a two-year hiatus with THE FAWN. The group's fourth album marks a significant change in The Sea And Cake's approach. The basic song structures, with their subtle modulations and graceful melodies, remain. But the arrangements favour layers of atmospheric keyboard and greater rhythmic tension. The change is apparent on the opening "Sporting Life" and throughout the entire album. "The Argument" is the creation of a band that has grown and developed in the best possible ways. The Sea And Cake's new sensibility doesn't feel forced. Rather, it represents a completely natural progression. Anyone familiar with the group's earlier albums will find THE FAWN to be a bold delight. Those new to this Chicago-based ensemble's music should start here.|