The Aluminum Group: John Navin (vocals, acoustic guitar); Frank Navin (vocals, keyboards); John Ridenour (acoustic & electric guitars, sitar, background vocals); Liz Conant (piano, keyboards, Moog synthesizer); Eddie Carlso (bass); John Blaha (drums); Jhno (loops, sound effects).Additional personnel: Susan Voelz (violin); Stacia Spencer (viola); Diana Parmeter (cello); Tito Carillo (trumpet, flugelhorn); David Trumfio (keyboards, drum machine, programming, sound effects); Sally Timms, Nora O'Connor (background vocals).Engineers: David Trumfio, Ken Sluiter, Mike Hagler. Recorded at Kingsize Studios, Chicago, Illinois and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin between 1997 and 1998.Personnel: John Ridenour (guitar, background vocals); Susan Voelz (violin); Stacia Spencer (viola); Diana Parmeter (cello); Liz Conant (piano, keyboards, Moog synthesizer); David Trumfio (keyboards, drum machine, programming, sound effects); Jhno (loops); Nora O'Connor, Sally Timms (background vocals).Audio Mixer: Ken Sluiter. Recording information: Kingsize Studios, Chicago, IL (05/1997-03/1998); Kingsize Studios, Lake Geneva, WI (05/1997-03/1998).Ensemble: The Aluminum Group. Aluminum Group's second album betrays an obvious Magnetic Fields influence. One of the two singing Navin brothers even sounds uncannily like the Fields' Stephin Merritt, particularly on the gently percolating "Steam." The Chicago band's other main influence appears to be '70s soft-rock. "Nine Months Later" even quotes Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," and "Angel On A Trampoline" wouldn't sound a bit out of place on any soft-favorites radio station. All of Frank and John Navin's songs are absolutely lovely. Their arrangements are tasteful-a dot of horns here, a dash of analog synthesizer there, lush strings and acoustic guitars everywhere. The characteristically pristine production of David Trumfio (Pulsars) gives Aluminum Group's sound depth and warmth. "Chocolates," the shimmering, Bacharach-like opening track, is a par.
The Aluminum Group - Plano |  | 11.26 |  | |
| | Plano |  | 12.02 | |
 | Aluminum Group ~ Plano (new) |  | 13.99 | |