Laika & the Cosmonauts

July 11 - July 18, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

**1/2 Laika & the Cosmonauts

ZERO GRAVITY

(Upstart)

Fans of Finland's premier instrumental surf combo won't be disappointed -- if not much surprised, either -- by this compilation of their first two albums (from 1988 and '90) originally released only in their home country. Laika & the Cosmonauts are heavily influenced by classic '60s surf-rockers like the Ventures, Dick Dale and the other usual suspects, but there's a clean, crisp '90s modernity on top of the whole affair that's very easy on the ears.

As ever, the band like to cover as many bases as possible. Casual surf-rock fans might expect space-age luau numbers like Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia," featuring fierce drumming and Farfisa piping. But they'd hardly be looking for the breakers on the Black Sea in "Surf Ro-Mania," which puts the bala in laika. The cherry on top is the spaghetti-Westernish original "1'45," " named for its length. Cute as a wink, it goes down as smooth as lemon sorbet, and it's just as addictive.

-- Wes Eichenwald