The Museum of Life

It's true that Pram has shared the same bubbly, French-pop sound of Stereolab and Broadcast. But that's where the similarities end. A few cuts into The Museum of Imaginary Animals, the seven-piece band – which includes the recent addition of ex-Broadcast drummer Steve Perkins, no less – makes a beautiful departure into a surreal journey of sound. Rosie Cuckston's reserved vocals help, but it's Pram's original combination of devices (flute, trumpet, and theremin, to name a few) that occasionally evoke an aquatic atmosphere, not unlike Meddle-era Pink Floyd. Like the imaginary creature on the album's back cover, this fifth full-length from Pram is certainly mythical.