The very complete Nick Frater

 By Henry Lipput

Glenn Tilbrook, lead singer, lead guitarist, and the melody half of the Difford and Tilbrook musical partnership, didn’t make a solo album until 2001’s The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook in between one the many Squeeze retrofittings. But, just for the sake of argument, what if he had made such an album between his band’s Argybargy and East Side Story?

That album would sound very much like Nick Frater’s Aerodrome Motel (Big Stir Records). Like Tilbrook, Nick Frater is always there with a cracking tune. And his latest, his third album in three years, is no exception.

The lead-off track from Frater’s Aerodrome Motel, “The Pleasure is Mine,” is a perfect example, not only in the melody but also in the vocal.  It’s what Frater does best; he adapts a style and makes it his own.

Frater has always seemed to be something of a musical magpie; in earlier reviews (for 2020’s Fast & Loose and 2021’s Earworms [a very apt title because that’s what his songs are] I’ve compared the sound of his songs to Raspberries, Wings, Elton John, Emitt Rhodes, and Big Star.

But the songs on Aerodrome Motel have more of a consistent sound and in doing so make the case (whether he's aware of it or not) for the solo album Glenn Tilbrook didn’t make. Frater’s music has always looked back to the 70s and 80s for inspiration so it’s no surprise he’s picked one of the most melodic bands (and a specific musician) from that era to dig into and to pay tribute. 

Video premiere: Theatre Royal’s “Ship beneath the floor”

 By Henry Lipput

How did timbers from the HMS Namur turn up at the Dockyard in Chatham in the UK?  The ship was built at the Dockyard and launched in 1756, broken up in 1833, and 10% of its frame was found underneath the floor at the Dockyard in 1995. All the timbers were from the Namur rather than being in a storage area holding timbers from various ships.

This mystery was the lyrical inspiration for “Ship Beneath the Floor,” the title track from Theatre Royal’s terrific EP Beneath the Floor (Bandcamp) released earlier this year. The Historic Dockyard Chatham found out about the song and invited the band to film a video in and around the Namur exhibit. Here’s the video:

The video is not only a release/relaunch of the track but also coincides with Theatre Royal’s next show in support of The Darling Buds at the Islington O2 Academy this Saturday (October 8^th). You can buy tickets here.

My new favorite song #1

 By Henry Lipput

This post is the first in a series of new songs (for me) that tickle my ears.

Last Friday Peter Hall released “In Plain Sight” (Bandcamp), the first track of many he’ll be sending our way over the next six months perhaps to get us ready for a new album. If you’ve been reading this blog you know that Peter’s work is nothing new to me. His Light the Stars was my favorite album from last year and the 2020 EP There’s Something Wrong with Everyone was, for me, a wonderful introduction to his work.

So what’s so special about “In Plain Sight”? As far as I know Peter wrote the song, played all the instruments, and recorded the track in his own Daisyland Studio just as he’s done for everything else. But there’s something about the sound that keeps me going back for a listen. Peter has always had a special way with melody and, having pulled all of his influences together, he’s developed his own unique sound. For me, “In Plain Sight” seems to be just a bit different, a step ahead in the development of his craft.

Bottom line: I love the sound of this song. “In Plain Sight,” as far as I’m concerned, is pop of the highest quality,