Nick Frater – Fast & Loose
With Fast & Loose, Nick Frater has crafted an outstanding piano driven pop album purloining pop of the past (say that three times fast) and giving us his reinterpretation – all of this while showing an incredible acumen for vocal arrangements and the all important pop hook.
“Would You Like to Go” immediately brings Brian Wilson to mind – and maybe XTC just a little bit. “California Waits” works off of a similar riff to The Grassroots’ “Sooner or Later” and is equally engaging. List songs are harder to write than one might think and with “Cocaine Gurls”, Frater gives us a real corker.The chorus is irresistible.
I imagine the single will be “Let’s Hear It For Love” (release date is September 19th) or at least it should be. It’s radio friendly for sure, leading off with a chorus that’s just about as memorable as any I’ve heard this year. The bouncy “Luna” is a winner, too.
The only mystery to me is the title track. This short instrumental opens the album and sounds as if it would make a good sports/news background track. Maybe that was the idea but it doesn’t interest me nearly as much as the rest of the album.
All totaled, Nick Frater’s Fast & Loose is a first rate release and a great addition to the other excellent albums Nick has released. Pre-order your copy at Big Stir Records or at Nick’s bandcamp page.
