Pram – The Moving Frontier

Nightmarish, intelligent electro pop groups from are not known for their longevity. This makes Pram’s newest offering, 17 years after their formation, worthy of some reverence. To their credit, Pram have managed to avoid sounding dated. The Moving Frontier pulls together various parts of the music landscape that do not meet very often, creating a strangely atmospheric whole. Throughout the record, movie soundtracks are called to mind, not least in opening instrumental The Empty Quarter. Spaghetti western guitar and dramatic organs intermingle, leaving a tune Quentin Tarantino might use if he ever made a Western. There is also more straight-forward lo-fi electro in evidence, notably on Salt & Sand and Beluga. Lyrics, on the five songs where there are vocals, seem to indicate a general unease with modern existence. Perhaps the most memorable line comes early in the album: “Everyone wants a date with the city surveyor”. Who can argue with that sort of insight? Pram set their stall out, unphased by the music others are making at the moment. Their little world is worth investigating.