FRISBIE - The Subversive Sounds Of Love
Hear Diagonally/US
This Chicago quintet has two outstanding lead vocalists (Steve Frisbie and Liam Davis, who sounds somewhat like Robin Gibb with much less vibrato), superb three and four part harmonies, a stellar rhythm section (powerful drummer Zack Kantor and fluid bassist Eddie Carlson) and a highly textured sound that is enhanced by the trumpet and keyboard work of Ross Bergseth. This substantial musical foundation gives them carte blanche to write a wide array of articulate and affecting pop songs, ranging from the literate, loping 'Pollyanna' (for Squeeze/McCartney fans), to the pretty 'Martha', to the driving, insistent 'Vertigogo' and 'Momentito'. The band also makes powerful anthemic statements that rival the top moments of the Posies - 'Too See And Be Seen' and 'Disaster' are inspiring, the latter building from a mellow beginning to a dramatic and heartfelt final chorus, showing how they can take a song to higher plane. Two things would have put this album over the top for me: 1) a couple more anthems to balance the swell softer material; and, 2) a crisper mix, since on some cuts (ex.-'Paid In Kind') the instruments all seem to be competing for the same chunk of sonic space, instead of being layered to emphasize the band's rich sound. These are mere quibbles, not reservations. TSSOL is a wonderful start for a band that is destined for greatness.
MIKE BENNETT (8.5)
Comprised of veterans of the Aluminum Group, Poi Dog Pondering, Lotus Crown and Moviegoers, Chicago's Frisbie has a pedigree that hints at its broad sound. Intimate and charming, THE SUBVERSIVE SOUNDS OF LOVE is certainly pop, full of crystalline vocals and ear-grabbing changes, but it's fortified with subtle and, yes, subversive glimpses of diverse influences under the pop veneer. As can be expected, there's the Beatlesque 'Pollyanna' and Big Star-ish bits, but the treatments are fresh, not formulaic, with unpretentious lyrical tone. 'Paid In Kind' recalls the Posies with brittle guitar against tight harmonies. There's laid-back Latin bits ('Disaster') calling to mind fellow Chicagoans Pinetop Seven, Felt-like washes of guitar on 'Wrecking Ball', and summer-of-love combo organ on 'Momentito'. 'Let's Get Started' has a little bit of the Aluminum Group's suavely sanitized tone and the instrumental 'Hifalutin' betrays the group's artier roots (and/or parodies their local scene), although it seems a little like filler in context. 'Vertigogo' is energetic power pop that should be the mark bands like Tsar aim for but miss. SUBVERSIVE SOUNDS OF LOVE is pleasingly accessible but far from obvious. It's a tough balance to hit, but Frisbie manage it; they love pop enough to attempt to reinvent its stale forms, and know enough to pull it off. Clean, intelligent, surprising: spin it more than once and you'll find reasons to spin it again.
JULIE LEDFORD (7.5)