Cars in the Grass appeared during the veritable onslaught of
Stuart Moxham material that surfaced during his brief mid-'90s revival. From the recording notes it appears that this album, like
Signal Path, was recorded piecemeal over a period of time, but
Cars in the Grass achieves a more consistent sound. The album might be the best of the full-band albums released under
Moxham's name, although the jangly, introverted guitar rock style he adopts here is too bland to be fully satisfying. The melodic "My Criteria" is a highlight, while the ersatz Afro-pop "Night by Night" and vaguely countrified "The Appropriate Response" add some variety. Two of the 11 songs are instrumentals, including the closing track, "Drifting West," which rewards
Young Marble Giants fans with a cheap drum machine rhythm. ~ Greg Adams