Frontperson – Parade
Oscar St Records – 29 April 2022
Frontperson don’t have that high a profile, which is a tragedy of epic proportions, especially when it comes to the quality of Parade, their new album. Besides featuring Kathryn Calder from the New Pornographers and Mark Andrew Hamilton from Woodpigeon, they have a sound merging modern-day folk with danceable beats and keyboards that trade in a variety of genres far too numerous to mention. Irresistible? You betcha!
The wonky keyboards that open “Parade” suggest the music is going to be crazy, but crazy like a fox, infectious as an earworm that weaves a way into your brain, inhabiting your thoughts. Before you know it, you are completely in its thrall, especially with the singing of Calder, whose vocals raise the game as she easily reaches for the high notes. Rhythms don’t pound, yet they work a similar magic.
Layers of sound infect “Messy Roomz” with a seductive vibe. The song continues to build, adding what sounds like layers of vocals “ahhing” in the mix as keyboards bubble up and almost overpower the guitar before fading out, giving the six-string a clear pathway to the song’s end. There’s a wordless vocal section to “Reach Out” that simply demands your attention before giving way to an endless array of keyboards. Much of this is music destined to play out on the dancefloor.
Just when you think all they can do is dance, Calder and Hamilton slow things down on “Ostalgie (Für C. Bischoff)” as the acoustic guitars ring out. Yet, little by little, the synths and bass begin to take over and move the song further down the field. The interplay between the two singers is magical and goes to extremes when a chorus of Calders fill the air. Lyrically they exchange lyrical phrases, underlining a relationship on the brink, “An acrobat falls to me (and fails to see)/ But tumbles off, not to remain (my love, oh)/ Although I tried, I couldn’t stay (I want you please)/ It’s not the time, it’s not the place (it’s all wrong).” You can feel everything disintegrating.
Lyrically and musically, Frontperson are at the top of their game. They re-emerge post-covid as a fully formed band ready to take on all comers. They do it with style and grace, reflecting a hard-earned maturity. They are not simply everything you could want; they are everything you need but never realised you needed quite so much. Parade is the sound of Frontperson, a band that deserves to be heard again and again.
Order via Bandcamp: https://wiaiwya.bandcamp.com/album/parade
https://www.frontpersonmusic.com/