An epic release from a group that you may not realize merits such treatment, this career-spanning comp from Chicago's Shrimp Boat, comprised almost entirely of unreleased material, is a deep and powerful set, full of surprises for both old fans and newcomers. The group kick-started the Chicagoan musical renaissance, gleefully mixing indie-pop with classic country and roots music, free jazz, soulful grooves and exhilarating experimentalism.

An epic release from a group that you may not realize merits such treatment (but they do!), this career-spanning 4-disc box from Chicago's Shrimp Boat, comprised almost entirely of unreleased material, is a deep and powerful set, full of surprises for both old fans and newcomers. Perhaps best known as Sam Prekop and Eric Claridge's pre- Sea and Cake project, the band also featured Chicago star producer Brad Wood, as well as Ian Schneller and several other talented and eclectic players during its eight-year run from 1985 to '93.

A classic art-school band (several of the groups members have since developed successful careers in the visual arts), the band's skewed artistic vision touched on nearly all of the varied musical stylings that in later years have become lynchpins of Chicago's vaunted underground scene. And in many ways they seem to have kick-started the musical renaissance of the Windy City, gleefully mixing their indie-pop (perhaps the New Zealand variety) with classic country and roots music (both the Carter Family and the Meat Puppets come to mind), free jazz, soulful grooves and exhilarating experimentalism (think TFUL282, or maybe Royal Trux with less heroin and more beer and psychedelics). Touching on alt-country, post-rock and improvisation before we knew it was cool for rock bands to do that, at a time when Naked Raygun was the biggest game in town, and hard, tight guitar bands ruled. And amazingly, the group seemed to have an unerring sense of just how far they could push the limits of their own abilities, tackling varied styles without relinquishing the Shrimp Boat sound, and never sounding like pretenders.

The set is arranged roughly chronologically, with the first disc comprised of 4-track recordings made in '87 and '88, when David Kroll was still in the group, and they feature his plucky banjo playing throughout. Far from "country", these tracks nonetheless betray a passion for American roots music as well as crash and drone. Disc two spans '89 to '91, after Wood joined the group, and about half of it was recorded to 16-track at his Idful Music Studios, as well as a number of live tracks from Chicago's Cabaret Metro and elsewhere. Besides taking over the drum kit, Wood's soprano sax clashes with Kroll's tenor as the group more formally explores its jazzier side. We can also hear the band tighten its pop side, with cleaner song structures and a more focused approach. The third disc covers '92 and '93, and although it is still chock full of variety, the most startling change is the addition of tenor saxophonist Joe Vajarsky, whose fluid playing and rich tone can easily fool you into forgetting that this is an indie rock band, not "legitimate" jazz improvisers. Add to this a career-spanning "bonus" disc and you have an immensely satisfying package.

Within its many hours of surprises, you can hear Prekop's distinctive vocal and guitar styles emerge, and fans of his work with the Sea and Cake will be thrilled by these early tracks, both for their similarities to his later work, and their differences, as he takes more chances and drops the cool demeanor that he has since perfected. As well, we hear Claridge's beautiful melodic bass playing (and on the early tapes, drumming), Wood's first stabs at the drums and early production work, as well as a bevy of delights from the rest of this talented and influential crew. The final product more than justifies the love and attention that went into creating this music, and compiling the set, and I for one am glad that these tracks are not forever confined to the scrap heap of history.

-Josh Madell (April 13, 2010)