Pram - The Stars are so Big the Earth Is so Small... Stay as You Are (1993)

While there isn't anything unusual about a post-rock band that has absorbed the Velvet Underground's entire canon, Birmingham's Pram took things a step further with a seemingly close reading of short-lived VU vocalist Nico's strange solo career. And Yoko Ono's -- possibly even Miles Davis' minimalist material from the late '60s. Like Too Pure labelmates, Stereolab and Th'Faith Healers, they also appear to have fallen under the sway of German futurists Can and Faust. Maybe even Angelo Badalamenti, David Lynch's composer of choice, as there's a pronounced cinematic component to their catalog. The results on this eight-song release are both original and enchanting. The surrealistic lyrics are disturbing and dreamlike, with references to insects and outer space, and the haunting music draws on a wealth of unexpected instrumentation (trumpet, toy piano, etc.) combined with Rosie Cuckston's wispy, off-key vocals -- a little like Alison Statton from the Young Marble Giants. It goes without saying that Pram isn't to all tastes, especially with challenging compositions like the 16-minute horn-driven "In Dreams You Too Can Fly," where Cuckston sounds a little too close to Marble Index-era Nico for comfort...and where the true fans are separated from the tourists. Pram's fans are a particularly dedicated lot and the group's early out-of-print recordings have become collector's items. The Stars Are So Big... is an especially coveted artifact, changing hands for substantial amounts at music stores, record conventions, and the like.