| The cover of Frank Bango's latest opus "The Sweet Songs Of Decay" has to be one of the most curious
in recent memory. A very sleepy (possibly inebriated) Frank sitting next to a mall Easter bunny for
one disturbing picture creeped me out at first, but after several reassuring glances I placed the CD
in my stereo. Let's see if these songs are sweet enough to dissolve the enamel from my teeth or are
so terrible they start to destroy me from the inside out.
Taking a solo trip through an acoustic wilderness, Frank is nothing but a guitar, smooth vocals, and
humble lyrics (plus some back up violins, drums and other instruments) but let's not ruin the
atmosphere. True it takes an Elvis Costello turn here and there, but the truly interesting thing is
the amount of combined sound throughout. Generally upbeat, Frank's folk songs feel like a pick me
up, in that inspirational way.
Folk isn't really my thing and while I can respect a talented artist (which Frank is) I wouldn't
listen to this more than once. This will sit well with folk lovers as it is not only heart warming
but it is also accompanied by a matured progression as well as a gentle arsenal of classical
instruments to sooth your ears.
Solo acoustic folk rock, love it or hate it. It is a pretty fine line. But i advise that if you
aren't sure if this is your cup of tea to try it out because while it may not be as sweet as the
title foreshadows, it still has a charm that is lost on the more modern music out now-a-days.
Respect is due to Frank and his humble folk album "The Sweet Songs Of Decay" not only because it is
a pretty solid record, but also because it offers more and goes above what normal folk is today.
~ Derek
June 10 2008 |
