The product of an uncharacteristically long two-year layoff, The Fawn is the Sea and Cake’s most experimental effort to date; the influence which the electronica movement exerts over the record is substantial — drum machines, sequencer tones, and synths are dominant throughout, and the group even dabbles in dub textures and sampling techniques. What’s remarkable about songs like “Sporting Life” and “The Argument,” however, is that the addition of electronics never upsets the music’s delicate chemistry — as is again proven here, the Sea and Cake’s greatest gift is their ability to assimilate the breadth of their inspirations, no matter how far afield, to emerge with something new and distinctive each time out; impressive in scope and rich in detail, The Fawn is as seamless and sophisticated as ever. – Jason Ankeny