Quicksand - Cradlesnakes

"Ripped bleeding from pop, country, avant-noise, art-rock and plain old folk music, 'Quicksand/Cradlesnakes' reinforces Califone's position as the premier left of centre noise-niks with tunes, anywhere in the world. It's their first to be licensed to Thrill Jockey.... The key to the success of the whole project is an innate ability of knowing when to lay glittering melodies before the listener, and when to make a rhythmic but somewhat atonal statement of alienation from what has come before. There are segments on the fantastically titled "Horoscopic Amputation Honey" which recall the most precious moments of country-blues tinged 70's American rock- real nuggets of pop heaven interspersed with feedback, fuzz and a mean lead guitar figure carefully picked out with clarity and space. "Michigan Girls" opens with an acoustic guitar, an elegant, restrained, folky vocal and a cello casting a calmness and spare beauty over proceedings; every now and again, there's a Massarella-inspired percussive breakdown before the chiming momentum is restored. "Cat Eats Coyote" is a lunatic abstract workout which sounds like a nightmare from Rennie Sparks and Susan Young's combined sub-conscious, their dreams interrupted by Sam Coombes' sax player Stanley Zappa. And "Golden Ass" is a really neat pysch-blues indie rocker. "Quicksand/ Cradlesnakes" is a big step up- a cracking sophomore effort which combines increased accessibility with just the right amount of abstract weirdness; unlike some avant-rockers, Califone have a firm rooting in folk music, and never even hint at progressive rock, which is an enormous relief. Ugly Casanova and Fruitbats fans should definitely apply, and so should anyone with an interest in intelligent, expressive American pop music with guts, melody and a deviant, wandering spirit. MP" (from www.americana-uk.co m)