KROM LEK - A Breath Of Fresh Air (Stone Premonitions)

Krom Lek (cromlech) - it means crooked stone, you know. breton or some such nonsense language. The Welsh might still use it as they seem determined to hang on to everything that has outlived its usefulness. Unlike the rather marvellous Krom Lek.

Rarely has a record been more appropriately titled, as another 10 top quality psychedelic tracks insinuate themselves into the consciousness. It's another step forward into near ambient bliss, as the instrumental passages layer themselves into something above and beyond the sum of their parts. A large round of drinks must go the funk driven bass guitar which should be horrendously out of place, but drives along some of the instrumental passages to new plateaux. With destination Ozric and Gong firmly in sight, Krom Lek have now reached a point where they no longer aspire, they achieve. This has rarely been too far away from the ceedee machine. This is a more unified release than the earlier ones, and I'm still undecided whether the more focussed approach is <>= the more experimental sounds.

Whatever, it is fabulous, should be on your shopping list, and is a firm contender for the albums of the year review.

Stone Premonitions, 271 Park Road, South Moor, Stanley, Co. Durham DH9 7AP, UK
http://www.stoneprem.co.uk terrib@stoneprem.freeserve.co.uk

THE BEAKER PEOPLE - Pompous Irksome Stance (Lost Wasp)

And so the lessons continue. As you should all know (shutupatheback, boyoutsidenow) the
Beaker People, partially credited with the building with the second stage of Stonehenge, are late Stone Age people who are thought to have emerged around 2200 BC.

Which makes it all the more remarkable that they should have released a ceedee. In between building stonehenge and glazing earthenware they developed CD technology 4000 years before Sony etc.

And they're recording rather good acoustic based songs with small hints of the loathsome Belle & Sebastian, and larger more pleasant sollops of Donovan and the Incredible String Band. We normally disapprove of Aberdeen and all things Aberdonian, but this is the exception that proves the rule. Nice dose of harmonies, managing to avoid the fey trap that sucks in some folk rock wannabees, and when the songs match the performance, "Absent Friends" being the premier example, it is all worthwhile. Lead vocals are shared, and it moght be better to try and settle on a 'sound', but it's a small quibble.

http://listen.to/thebeakerpeople
http://fly.to/lostwasprecords
lostwasprecords@hotmail.com