I'm sure that somewhere out there some people have been eagerly anticipating the next release from the lo-fi independent band known as Stü Art. These people, who surely must exist...somewhere...with only the slightest hint of mental instability, will no doubt be pleased by the band's latest release, entitled Chôpek Rink. The genius of the album is in its short, concise length. Nowhere is this characteristic felt more than on what is easily the best track on the album, "Australia". The band's message is made crystal clear on this particular recording, with little room for interpretation. Some may feel that what makes a song good is its ability to be interpreted in many different ways, and therefore allow a wide audience to relate. However, in this case, this critic feels that the band has needed a stronger sense of direction and a bit more clarity on their previous albums. Chôpek Rink, and "Australia" in particular, certainly brings this to the table. However, what stops this album from standing head and shoulders above the previous band's releases is the same thing that makes it good in its own right. The songs are perhaps a bit too short, and while a lighter, almost harmonious sound is certainly a step up, the lyrics seem to suffer. This trend is all too clear in the disturbing song "Just to be Abstract", which made the lead singer sound like he was having some difficulty relieving himself, while at the same time managed to head in no direction whatsoever. To be fair, Jim Nickras' lyrical and vocal talent is generally less painful to listen to, and even shines on "Temp File 1 Redux", as does Mike Nickras' musical accompaniment. This song stands out as one of the best on the album in that it gives a glimpse into the band's true talent. Overall, Chôpek Rink is a good effort from Stü Art. The band seems to place a bit more emphasis on their music, and the resulting sound is a definite improvement over past efforts. If the album was lyrically stronger, and yet managed to maintain the same light, fleeting feel, then it would have been more than good...maybe even great. Should Stü Art release such an album in the future, this reviewer would risk being considered one of those aforementioned mentally unstable people, and look forward to listening to it.

Chôpek Rink is the first new release from the band since the summer of 2000, and contains all new material. Both band members seem to have settled into primary roles on this album: j. nickras as lead vocals and guitar and m. nickras on keyboards. Together they produced a series of songs with a much more mellow feel than a fan may be used to. The song "I Missed (ver 2)" is an excellent example of this, with some of j. nickras' better lead vocals combined with electric piano accompaniment. The almost musicbox-like sound to the electric piano helps give the song a lighter feel than expected. Two of the best songs on the album are "Fall in Rome" and "in Akron, Alone." The first song is a j. nickras solo effort, recorded on his own without the rest of the band. And it rather surprisingly shines as a great song, perhaps partly because of the very rough recording quality. "Fall in Rome" brings back memories of "Hawaii" from the Finally... album. "in Akron, Alone" stands out for a totally different reason. While it's still a well-written and well-performed song, "in Akron, Alone" is a personal favorite on the album because of it's dark, moody tone. Surrounded by a bunch of lighter, almost 'pop-y' tunes, the depressed sounds of this song by m. nickras are fondly reminiscent of the band's earlier work. The only song this reviewer would give a definite thumbs down to would be "Just to be Absurd." There is a lot of moaning into the microphone and the instrumentals are disjointed and not very musical, not something that fits with the rest of the album. And frankly, this reviewer has no desire to hear j. nickras' heavy breathing. The backwards parody of this song, "Just to be Abstract" is kind of interesting, but seems like a bad end to a decent album. Those annoying moans played backwards now sound orgasmic, and that combined with the breathing conjures up all sorts of images that THIS reviewer would rather not have. Perhaps this could have been a more effective clip if it was a third of the length. Fortunately for anyone who got the same images as the reviewer, there is a bonus track following "Just to be Abstract," a sampling of different tracks combined to make one rather amusing bit. It's rather a relief after the orgasm track. All in all, this was a good album. The band seems to have moved away from the real poetic gems from their first albums, but their musical sound has matured to the point where it compensates. J. nickras has a pleasantly 'slightly stoned in a coffeehouse in SoHo' sound to his voice, as does m. nickras who is slightly less nasal. For essentially the entire album, the vocal and instrumental lines mesh together smoothly and musically, and if a person was familiar with the band, they could see Chôpek Rink's growth from the Finally... album. Not bad, not bad at all.