A Review of “Two Gentlemen” EP by The Sea and Cake

Contrary to the other reviewer of this album, I have always really liked these 26 minutes of remixes that are definitely more electronic and more like Thrill Jockey bandmates, Tortoise. It is definitely is quite different from a typical, non-remixed Sea and Cake album. There are some nice melodies mixed in with different electronic sounds, O’Rourke’s remix of “Do Now Fairly Well,” titled, “I Took the Opportunity to Antique My End Table,” is the most mellow of the songs and is truly beautiful. “Two Gentlemen” has a more instrumental and sampled feel to it. It came out in 1997, the same year as the original The Sea and Cake album, “The Fawn,” which is a really great album. Stereolab’s “Dots and Loops” also appeared that year, which features John McEntire of The Sea and Cake and Tortoise. This set of remixes makes sense in the context of the links with Tortoise and Stereolab. If you are looking for a down-tempo groove out with some nice melodies thrown in, this EP is a good listen.