The Sand & Sea in Bloomington, MN

On their fourth disc, the
Crabs
' sound changed dramatically with the first note on
"Tumbling Away"
. The addition of
Sarah Dougher
on organ and vocals added a fresh perspective to the Oregon-based band.
John Lunsford
's vocals are remarkably smoother than on earlier
' efforts, especially on the second track,
"Market Size"
.
Lisa Jackson
and
Dougher
combine on the third track,
"Ladies' Choice Reprise"
, a short instrumental, complete with hand-claps. That song leads into
"Bricks of Gold"
, possibly the most awe-inspiring composition of the collection. It's the first display of
Jackson
's perfectly-matched voices in duet. That song gives way to another instrumental, this time the title track.
's organ adds an extra punch to the band's previous instrumental efforts. The album is undoubtedly more jangley and less noisy than earlier
' recordings.
"Classic Crabs"
is, as the song title presumes, most like the rollicking numbers on earlier
discs like
Jackpot
Brainwashed
, with
Lunsford
's guitar and vocals leading the attack. Possibly the catchiest song of the disc is at the end, the blissful and poignant
"I Surrender"
Sand and Sea
was recorded in two studios, at
Calvin Johnson
's
Dub Narcotic Studio
in Olympia, Washington. Other songs were recorded by
Larry Crane
at
in Oregon. ~ Stephen Cramer