Ca Va
The German-English trio Slapp Happy first performed in the early '70s when singer Dagmar Krause and musicians Peter Blegvad and Anthony Moore became associated with Faust and Henry Cow. They made some fascinating albums at the time but have rarely performed since their heyday. This reunion disc is made up of lilting pop constructs featuring Krause's elegant voice set against the quirky musical blueprints of Blegvad and Moore. Accompanied by electronic drum loops courtesy of producer Laurie Latham,Ca Vahas both a classic and modern feel. Consistent with their earlier records, Slapp Happy's songs are extremely literate. Blegvad's words are poignantly oblique, while Moore emerges as the album's main instrumentalist. Blegvad's guitar style is tasteful, and Krause's pristine vocals are uniformly excellent.Ca Varanks as a minor classic.--Mitch Myers