On "Good Looking Blues", Laika thankfully showed again why they were such a great band, tightening up the approach of "Sounds Of The Satellites" and adding even more obvious jazz influences than were seen on the debut. The rhythmic, sparse funk of the opener "Black Cat Bone" and the melodic, electronic jazz of the following "Moccasin" were both full of the mysterious beauty that made "Silver Apples Of The Moon" great. Margaret Fielder at times sounds like she is making an otherworldly shout, but she showed herself equally capable of traditional melodic singing. The haunting "T Street" and "Uneasy" further the move into electronic jazz territory, with "Uneasy" possessing one stunningly beautiful flute melody that has to be heard.

The title tune moved into harsher territory, but Pete Whyman's melodic clarinets place the song well outside true jazz realms - and Fielder's assertive voice fits in excellently with the classic trip-hop rhythm. On "Widow's Weed" Fielder sounded like a modern-day soul sister with her powerful vocalising, but Whyman's beautiful clarinet was magical in its melodic power. "Glory Cloud" and "Go Fish" were excellent, if not stunning with their tuneful electronic jazz, but the spooky opening to "Bad Times" reminds one of the fiery yet mysterious funk that made Laika great.

Fielder's spontaneous, epic narrative and Pete Whyman's and Louise Elliott's woodwinds blend so seamlessly that no contradictions are apparent on the record itself. The erratic samples in themselves are almost a reason to buy the album. Lou Ciccotelli's drumming on "Knowing Too Little" and "Lie Low" suited the jazzy character of "Good Looking Blues" in its clearest form, whilst the closer "A Single Word" showed Fielder's spooky whisper on a sparse, melodic ballad. Margaret Fielder has always been able to use so many voices, from sing-speak to soul sister, and "A Single Word"'s overlapping vocal lines envelope the song in a truly strange mystery.

Anybody serious about today's music should give Laika a listen, and "Good Looking Blues" stands on a par with their brilliant debut "Silver Apples Of The Moon".

Disappointing!! dont waste money on this....
the only "eh well" song is the one everyone knows.."uneasy" the others are really bad!! i tried hard to love the whole albume but useless..as they claim, the laika gang is not producing the space sounds even though their Russian dog was sent to space...they could have learned more from Alpha that used dog barkings in their "come from heaven"..it is so experimental and scary..i dont even know how this albume was in everbody's favorite list?!...anyway it will just stay in my cd collection and one day in 40 years maybe i will feel listening it again
;...(...

Good Sounding Blues
I first heard Laika here, via the quick 30-second samples of songs, and I was intrigued by their sound and their style. I logged on to their official website ...and was pleasantly surprised to find their music and audio section jam-packed. I sat there and listened to almost every song (original versions, remixes, etcetera) that they had listed.

In doing so, I became an instant fan and began sending friends and co-workers to their site as well. One of the friends whom I pointed in Laika's direction then surprised me with this CD, which I have been listening to pretty much incessantly ever since.

The blends of instruments vs. trip-hop sounds is a unique one - they don't sound overly digitized, nor pop in the slightest. The lyrics paint a picture and you find yourself listening to the stories they tell. From the hilarious email virus hoax in "Badtimes" to the spellbinding "Black Cat Bone" to the heartbreaking "Last Single Word," there is not one track that should be skipped. I literally laugh out loud during "Badtimes," no matter how many times I hear it. I love that the CD has a mix of shorter songs and long, extended tracks; symphonic instruments and techno-beats; melancholy stories and lively messages.

I will definitely continue to keep tabs on Laika and check out their other albums as well. Five stars to "Good Looking Blues," if not ten stars.

Goes down well.
The fluid groove: harder to achieve than the effortless swagger of a well-realised rhythm may suggest. Throw in too much detail and things sound cluttered and belaboured, make it too stark and the result sounds boring and unfocused. Laika get it just right on this album, which glides on beats of teflon and skips on jazzy ornamentation more substantial than on most dance albums. Complete the mix with Margaret Fiedler's seductive yet world-weary vocals and the result is a cocktail that is extremely drinkable, yet potent. Yes please!
Third album from UK indie rock band. Includes the single 'Uneasy. As yet there is no U.S. release date scheduled. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.