PREFAB SPROUT Swoon (Epic)

And this is even stranger: vaguely Donald Fagenish bedsitter cooljazz folk, but from Celtic types who’ve never been to Levittown (never even driven by it in their dog carts). Haute-sophomoric lyrical brainteasers from one “Paddy McAloon,” tarted up with swoopy swoopy Roche-hives vocals courtesy of Wendy Smith. Soft guitars with many strings, but drums whenever you need them, too. Slabs of content in some crosseyed way reminiscent of tickled-until-they-bleed XTC. Not great, necessarily, but more spookily provocative than yer everyday major-label debut. R.R.