King of Guitarland:
In dedication to the great Sonny Kenn, inspiration for the “jersey sound” and proclaimed “king of all guitarists”, this rock n’ roll juke joint really cooks. Vivid descriptions of cherry-red Stratocasters with low action, dark sunglasses and generally smooth behavior (with a touch of tube overdrive) portray the baddest guitarist to play music in any of these seaside bands. Bluesy rockabilly laced soul to give the opening track of the album some serious throttle.
Snow Falls Apart:
This is a heartfelt sentiment of love and love lost to me. It boldly highlights the air of impermanence to life in what Frank described to be “a little darker than his previous works” but with tasteful measure. I really love how the earth is being described as a “blue/green” grape here. This is a wonderful depiction of our planet from a universal perspective and gives me a faint but decidedly intentional feeling of unity as human beings.. just floating through nothingness on a rock together. Astronauts have described the sensation of looking back on earth from their space-shuttles and experiencing an immense revelation of one-ness that has been referred to as “the overlook effect”. Maybe it's the other weather references like “snow falling apart” that make me listen to this song from an almost other-worldly perspective.. like I’m watching a winter storm break up on the Doppler. Other context could also lead us to believe this line is describing the attractive but fleeting beauty of snow.. though beautiful, it will return to its watery beginnings when touched by a warm hand.
New Suit:
A splendid game of “hide and seek” in New Orleans, even if nobody knows you’re gone for weeks! Makes me want to buy a suit and go where the Cuban ladies go. Stunning sonic exploration of a great music city through and through. Who doesn’t love the idea of owning a bar that plays all your songs too? This is a stellar jam that really transports me back to my favorite vacation spot in all its vibrancy and color, as my physical body rides out the doldrums of a bleak NJ winter. Thank you song!
The Other Side of Town:
The cringe of foul play is ripe and rampant in this number. The woman sneaks away from her lover at twilight and is last seen on the “other side of town”. Here in the Shakespearean dwelling just south of the tracks, “flesh is sold by the pound”. Why has this escaped convict come to this place? Is she seeking out some dark affair, chemical/pharmaceutical experiments of the blood or perhaps desires of a sexual nature? Were there hidden fantasies that her current habitat just couldn’t cater to? The artist appears to be as clueless as the listener is made to feel. In the dark. The uncertainty of not knowing the answers can inflict as much pain (if not more) then hearing the real reason she left spoken plainly. Finished this song with chills in my bones and an anvil in my heart. What an emotional ride Franks albums are, seemingly by design. Well done, mate!
Where Do You Go?:
This tune reiterates a very candid question that artists such as Nick Drake have posed before in songs like “Place to Be”. The question is, where do you go when a season of life is coming to a close? Here, Frank paints the picture of a winter shore town where “stop lights just blink”. The question is a heavy one and something every man/woman will have to ask themself as some point in life, be it in defeat, departure of a loved one or simply at the tail of something running its course. Gave me a twinge of hope knowing I’m not alone in the lonesome quest of finding one's place in this world.
Hard Candy:
I think the lyric that sums up this song the best is “man, that woman’s mean”. Reminiscent of some edgy, female forces found throughout Patrouch’s discography from songs such as “Back From Memphis”, “Magdalena” and most recently, “Suffer”. Revenge is a dish best served cold with this no-nonsense lady of tough love. In short, if you aren’t careful, you might catch a beatin’ both physically and psychologically.
Venus With Empty Arms:
This song depicts a cold love that still manages to drive up the utility bill somehow. I picture the notorious Venus fly trap that hasn't quite managed to snare her prey yet. This lover seems to be broken in various ways but still (maybe in spite) guts you with passive aggressive attacks and hypocrisy. Despite attempts to conceal it, she’s a fine-tuned machine manufactured for one reason: breaking balls.
Dark Highway:
A whammy-soaked anthem to the road and its mounting casualties. Seriously, there are chalk outlines of bodies on this ghostly byway, so before you polish your shoes and sing the blues, you better pay your dues. I love how the air is sucked out of the mix on the “hotel bar was quiet” leaving literally only Frank and a snare drum trodding on. This is terrific prosody as the lyrics describe a man drinking alone, shivering at the thought of a highway personified as some dark entity claiming mortals souls. The clever production, deep rhetoric and excellent song-craft resonated with me a ton on this one, creating quite the sonic allure which I found to be sensational!
Sweet Little Kiss:
This song has some fantastic instrumental elements (especially of the percussive nature) giving it an almost island-y feel. Additionally, I think it's my favorite guitar solo on the album! A tale of a stylish cougar who likes her men more or less inept in the intelligence department unraveling paired with a rich accompaniment of congas, timbales and even a lush accordion. The hook is tasteful and shines through brightly, expressing moroseness in “a sweet kiss” gone astray.. maybe through insidious engineering, but more likely simply because life happens.
Michael:
This story is laced with overtones of religious dogma, narcissism and perhaps even mental illness at a stretch. I drew a connection with the words as seeing someone differently than society might. One lyric mentions the protagonist (who might actually be the antagonist) dressing up in a nice suit to deceive and create a false perception. Frank often uses character’s outfits, behaviors or words (wrapped in metaphor) to really get into the nitty gritty of their true nature. It’s these off-beat descriptions of things that always make for a truly unique listening experience to my ear.
Everything I Lost:
Fresh out of a long-term relationship myself, this one really found its way to my heart strings. Dripping in relationship nostalgia, it found all the feels in me that are bruised and exploited them. “I’m not just leaving, I’m leaving you alone” is a proclamation of either leaving someone to tend to their own sadness, or coming to the realization that you were no good for them anyway and by walking away, you are actually ridding them of all the quirks and annoyances that you imagine to be “cutting them to the bone”. This song is awfully familiar to me as it describes my own inner-critic when I am being hard on myself. The all to familiar feeling of letting my imagination fool me into thinking I am not wanted or deserving of the love I am receiving is showcased here in glory and travail. Exceptional song and writing!
Suffer:
This song is an ear-worm. It’s bleak, but also had me chuckling. My theory is it was written roughly during the COVID era as it describes two spouses fed up with each other's presence while occupying shared quarters. It states a harsh reality that although this person doesn’t want to put us out of our misery, they are struggling to hide the satisfaction of seeing us wallow in the suffering of our own consequences.. Perhaps a hangover or refusal-of-help with a prideful project. The octaver on the guitar and swirling synths really provide a nice textured sound that envelops the guitar solo well, allowing it to speak out in the gaps between lyrical passages.
Butter:
A smooth and bright instrumental, robust with the pleasant twang of mandolin! Buttery, delicious and flaky (in a good way).
The Last Drop of Blood:
It’s hard to say what this song is supposed to be about and I’d love to pick Frank’s brain on it next time I see him. At first when I heard “a patriot be til the last drop of blood” I immediately thought it was referring to the trials and tribulations of a veteran home from war. The next listen put me more along the lines of a blue-collar worker or a casualty of the working class wars if you will, white-knuckling their way through the commute without any consideration for the sacrifices made by our nation’s heroes. Nothing is free in the land of the free, even if the system is designed to milk us of our time, money and energy. It’s even more powerful when you look at it this way, people risking everything for “freedom” that we as a people take for granted and sometimes even loathe or identify as a rigged game. It begs the question "What is freedom?” and is our definition worthy of fighting or dying for?
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