Reviews:: Frankel Anonymity Is The New Fame

Anonymity Is The New Fame. Humility is a concept I sorely miss when it comes to musicians these days. The internet gave everyone a voice, and it appears the masses have used that voice to form a shitty synth band or a sloppy blues two-piece and want the world to know.

Gone are the days of artists hunkering in home studios penning masterpieces, hoping to be discovered by word of mouth when people stumble into a show early and don't talk over the opener. Nope, now it's PR companies and unfinished EPs rushed out the door

But nestled into the sunshine and smog of LA is understated singer, Michael Orendy - or as you might know him, Frankel. The unassuming singer seems quite content to lead a quiet life and let his songs speak volumes. After drawing comparisons to Newman, Lennon/McCartney, Richard Swift and Elliot Smith, it’s no secret his pen and ear are gifted, but trying to force Orendy’s songs into those overused descriptors would fall short. He still bangs out beautiful piano numbers (Faux Science), subtle orchestral gems (like the harmony laced When I Grow Up or Ticket Machine), but Anonymity is the new Fame shows Orendy working with rawer, poppier sounds.

Orendy is a refreshing breeze you need during the dog days of summer. The ten songs are perfect for afternoon lethargy – you almost melt into the chair when he throws in harmonies over the gentle gallop of Comfortable - but Orendy refuses to let the record or the listener become stagnant. In the past, tracks that may have used subtle atmospherics are now rich with well placed feedback.

The beautiful strings and piano give way to surging noise on Keep You Inside and while it may interrupt the calm Orendy creates so effortlessly (and is almost expected), it also helps keep the listener guessing and interested. The electric work on Nowhere bounces off the melody like the sun hitting the water. Even when Orendy strips down his thoughts to the very basics – like the gentle acoustic that starts Weather Balloon - he confidently shifts to dreamy, fuzzed out pop that warms your ears and your heart.

MP3:: Frankel - Weather Balloon
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/frankel
BUY:: http://autumntone.com/

Labels: Music, Reviews