Pram

What started as a Theremin and vocal duo -- how's that for experimental minimalism? -- has expanded to include zither, trumpet, flute, clarinet and samples, samples, samples. That's not to say that Pram eschew typical rock instrumentation; songs such as "The Owl Service" are downright funky, with plenty of emphasis placed on the bass and drums to create a mood best described as "pastoral groove." (If you're familiar with Camembert Electrique (1971) by Gong, you're in the right ballpark.) Other works have a more transcendent, spacey quality -- a vague and pretty formlessness where circular melody lines cascade and horns trip merrily around keyboards and gentle string parts. Rosie Cuckston's vocals, a strange combination of the bad and the sublime, top it all off. Her breathy notes barely stay on key, but they match the dreamy music perfectly -- she never sounds sour. Pram has enough of their collective head tilted towards the past to sound good -- including all the great Psychedelic and Experimental music of bygone years -- while they effortlessly groove on their own Post-Modern trip.