Released August 20, 2016
9 / 10
Favorites
Nikes, Ivy, Pink + White, Solo, Nights, Godspeed, Futura Free
Least favorites
Seigfried
My first review. This concept album, mostly produced by Frank himself, really defies categorization in its own right. One might be tempted to call it R'n'B. It is so much more. Push and stretch the word to the boundaries of the genre and you might get closer. Frank sets out to set up a surreal oneiric atmosphere around many of the songs. His craftsmanship is minimalist yet complex, with many tracks relying solely on his vocals, rock guitar and electric keyboard to carry them. As a result many of the instrumentals could have slipped to the dull side but Frank's warm voice and musical intuition do not let the tracks down. The listener is taken on a real journey from Nikes to Futura Free. The songs all take the listener somewhere else to where they began. It's not about going full circle and introspection for the sake of introspection. The prominent nostalgia that permeates through the tracks is rather an occasion to move forward. This gives an airy feeling and a sense of determination to the work. Skyline To evokes the progression of the rising of day, with bird sounds that pick up dormant life from the embrace of sleep. The haze of waking up accompanied by natural light after a solid night of sleeps finds an echo in the mysterious deconstructed lyrical content, an ode to the blur of somnolence. "Blonde" holds a plethora of allusions and opaque lyrics of a dream-like state. One needs a couple listens to absorb everything Frank has to offer on the couple first tracks. In Pink + White, the instruments come and go, and pick up where others leave, as heavenly background vocals keep the tropical dream alive. And yes the background vocals are heavenly. (And they are Beyoncé's). Frank plays with confusion and the listener's emotions bouncing off the tracks. Nights builds up and gets busier and busier to the point where the song creates a it of anxiety. After the song breaks and Frank turns to rapping on a new beat, the lyrics are like the lovechild of a Facebook thread and a seance summoning session. This track is undoubtedly the climax of the album. Make no mistake, despite the oneiric substance, a lot of the lyrical content is grounded and demonstrates how good a storyteller Frank is. Ivy is a story of a broken relationship in which no party got out scar-free and without their share of responsibility on a complex musical fabric. It immerses the listener so much that the scream that ends the song ("Dreaming, dream on!") almost jeers at us to wake up from the reverie as the instruments squeak to signify the end of a private jamming sessions we have just been privy to. Religion and spirituality permeate the work as much as relationships do. Frank's take on his spirituality seemingly attempt to conjure the beautiful from the ugly, finding solace and respite in psychedelia and navigating the tension between good and bad, the conventional and the unusual. It is particularly the case on Solo where Frank is supported by resonating subdued vocals from none other than Jazmine Sullivan in a gospel following Frank's mother two cents in Be Yourself. Another occasion on which this is striking is the evening service that Godspeed provides - a personal favorite. When the melody collapses on itself and Kim Burrell's vocals rise on an extraterrestrial backdrop, we're left stargazing in a short and intense moment of bliss. Godspeed Frank!
Favorite lyrics
"Dreaming a thought that could dream about a thought That could think of the dreamer that thought That could think of dreaming and getting a glimmer of God"
Seigfried
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