The “Prairie Prayers” EP is a neato release by lo-fi indie rockers Shimmer Kids Underpop Association. Already on the first track, the San Francisco-based group mix a sound reminiscent of the Velvet Underground meets “Pet Sounds”-era Beach Boys: psychedelic, energetic, and jingle-jangly bittersweet pop rock on a quest to surprise listeners and innovate in a stagnating genre.
Working around the concept of “a 7-song map of frontier territory, a long-horned story of remote-control cowboys, cherry-bomb chieftans, and how the West was wondered,” the Shimmer Kids have thrown together a rather successful surrealist tale of the Wild West as it should have been, combined with some wholly tasty music.

Bouncing clap-a-long “Country Comforts” confirms what one might suspect upon hearing the opener “We’re All Chiefs and No Indians”. “Left Coast Neros” is a bit of a let-down, reminiscent of early Mercury Rev in a shower with distracting sound effects to match, but “Georgia Green” makes for the ultimate closing ballad and does a good job of finishing the whole thing off on a more satisfying note. The production found on the EP makes the sound seem both rustic and earthy, adding to the authenticity of “Prairie Prayers” and while some of the stuff is a bit too ‘avant-garde’ for my liking (NOISE!), the Shimmer Kids generally overcome this problem and cut quickly to the meat of the matter. Overall, an enjoyable 22-minute listening experience for those interested in what’s stirring in the neo-psychedelic indie genre.

Year Released: 2001
Label: Parasol Records
Related Link: Official Website of the Underpop Revolution
Date Reviewed: 2003-12-30
Author: Andreas