?Strawberry? assembles some great pieces of studio improvisation from South Africa?s Moranga, which is a collaboration between members of the bands Lithium and Plain. Their disc consists of four big instrumental tracks recorded between 2002 and 2004 in Cape Town. These jams come packed in a lovely cardboard gatefold sleeve with a silk screened cover. Musically, the band falls somewhere between Mogwai and Bardo Pond at their jammiest. Still, their music manages to pack a punch.

The live, improvised aspects of this collection really make it stand out. Each note seems rawer and more inspired because of this. The core of the group is just guitar, bass, and drums and throughout each track, bass and guitar trade off for the lead. The guitar is quite reminiscent of Bardo Pond and the bass parts are similar to Joy Division/New Order?s thundering leads and rhythms. On the first two tracks additional keyboards are featured and round out the sound of the ensemble nicely. The standout, and also winner of the awesome song title award, is ?Some Patrons Run Away Deaf? which careens across thirteen minutes.

While the music on ?Strawberry? is not hugely groundbreaking, it is great to hear a group of talented musicians playing solid improvised music. It?s really their energy and skill that makes this whole thing shine. There?s no doubt that this disc would be a worthy addition to the collection of any post-rock fan. 7/10 -- Matt Blackall (24 July, 2007)