David Thomas and Two Pale Boys, Erewhon (CD)

I've been a long-time Pere Ubu fan, and I also enjoy many of David Thomas's solo records, especially when they jump farthest from his rock music background. 1996's Erewhon isn't exactly a solo record, as Two Pale Boys remained a functioning group for several albums and tours. It emphasizes Thomas's spoken-word approach, which can get lost on most Pere Ubu songs (at times it resembles "Rhapsody in Pink" from The Art of Walking). The almost-clinical production is far removed from rock music, and well executed by longtime Ubu collaborator Paul Hamann. The other two Pale Boys (I'm familiar with Andy Diagram's work from Dislocation Dance through Spaceheads) add radical textures without diverging from Thomas's references to song structure.