Alison Statton And Spike - The Shady Tree (CD)

Formerly of the Welsh post-punk act Young Marble Giants, vocalist Alison Statton makes a slight return to that lauded band's chilly, spare sound on THE SHADY TREE, her second full-length record co-billed to multi-instrumentalist Spike Williams. On this 1997 set, the breezy coastal aesthetic of the preceding TIDAL BLUES is replaced with a loop-driven, digital sheen that echoes the geometric art of the album's cover. Still, Statton's plaintive voice helps to bring out the subtle organic undercurrents of TREE, resulting in an intriguing outing that recalls a Krautrock album recorded in a remote field.