Search - Prefab Sprout :: Andromeda Heights

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Lypo Suck | Hades, United States | 05/22/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Fans had to endure 6 long years of dead silence before getting to hear Prefab's follow-up to the brilliant "Jordan: the Comeback." Some hoped that McAloon was using this time to create the masterpiece that would actually surpass the unsurpassable genius of the preceding albums. But as the years dragged on, some lost hope, fearing he'd thrown in the towel, or that the band had unceremoniously vanished into obscurity. But seemingly out of nowhere, McAloon came out with this strange album that scarcely resembles Prefab's past work.



My feelings on "AH" are bittersweet. Interestingly, its sound indicates that McAloon was completely oblivious to mid to late-90s recording developments. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but whereas mid-90s contemporaries like the High Llamas, Stereolab, and Aluminum Group were reaching back in time to analog synths, Farfisa organs, and Bacharach/Brian Wilson horn/string sections, McAloon took a different and altogether more VH-1 route with "AH," slathering it in a grotesquely slick, Elton John/Disney-soundtrack production, forcing one to wonder if he had shifted his target audience to sentimental, middle-aged, suburban housewives who cry when they hear "Candle in the Wind."



The orchestral arrangements combine with prevalent, irksome X-Files sounding synthesizers. The music is devoid of any underlying tension (partly due to the absence of drummer Neil Conti), and instead possesses a languid, spacey, cinematic feel. Sometimes this works, but proves numbing over the course of the album.



The songs themselves are hit and miss. "Electric Guitars," "Four Horsemen," and "Weightless" retain McAloon's tried and true knack for infectious, effortlessly brilliant, pop genius. Other tunes, like "Whoever You Are" and "Prisoner of the Past" are okay, but pale when compared to past glories like "Cruel." Everything else is dull, uninspired, and irreparably damaged by the icky, sterile sound.



Adding insult to injury, the lyrics are laced with unforgivably awful, sentimental, Hallmark dross that would make any "Precious Moments" collecting simpleton feel warm and fuzzy. This may reflect McAloon's settling down into middle-age and shedding his youthful angst, but settling down never got the better of Mark E. Smith or Cathal Coughlan!



If you're a Prefab diehard, you'll find a few songs here to make it worthwhile. But, it's truly disappointing and alienating to hear McAloon lose the edge that made his work in the 80s so crucial. It's only appropriate here to mention Cathal Coughlan's mantra of "keep music EVIL!""

There is only one Prefab ...

richardofyork | York, England | 06/15/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"4 days before the release of their next album, I am hooked on this album - one friend reminded me of how good this band was and is.Steve McQueen and Jordan are 2 superb CDs and this, more tranqil, album is excellent for those of us growing older and getting into more jazz based music!Let's keep our fingers crossed for the next one..."