Sam Prekop
Who’s Your Professor Now
Thrill Jockey
Who’s Your New Professor begins with one of the loveliest pop pieces I’ve heard come out of the Chicago post-rock scene. “Something” percolates thanks to soft electronic jets of buoyancy, while a gossamer-thin guitar line threads a melody over hushed percussion. There’s a subtle shift in dynamics through the song, which ushers in a tropical breeze of coronet on the coda. The rest of the disc doesn’t quite live up to the promise of this song, but it’s still flush with moments of brilliance. “Chicago People” is a moonlit serenade for Prekop’s Windy City neighbors, swaying through a loose, low rhythm that makes its mark quietly with a fleeting horn melody that is memorable even in its absence.
“C+F” is one of the album’s most languid songs, yet it’s also one of the sturdiest. Though still slight and airy to the ear, in Prekopian terms it’s positively rock solid. The percussion is at triple strength with snare drum, shaker and handclaps all providing a driving beat for a steady minor chord guitar strum and an elongated brass workouts.
This album is a great step forward for Sam Prekop, who was already running circles around the competition with Sea and Cake. He’s eased into a tenured position as a scholar of meticulously constructed pop music, and hopefully he’ll keep at it for a long time to come.
Thrill Jockey: http://www.thrilljockey.com
