- Label: 'Property Of The Lost Records'
- Genre: 'Blues'
- Release Date: '14.5.25.'- Catalogue No: 'LOST055'
Our Rating:
I Am Frank is the second album by Hastings based Frank From Blue Velvet who obviously don't have any members called Dennis let alone Frank, but are the vehicle that allowed Andrew J Davis to reconnect with his daughter Ruby Lyons with the assistance of Ogs and Kath Allsopp, and additional musicians including Vellum Hill, Mark J lee, Andrew Neate, Andrew Cooper, Panayioti Chapman and Karen Davies. The album was recorded at Yiayia's Studio in Hastings.
The album opens with Running Man who sounds like he is running through a rain forest being pursued by a gloom ridden Nick Cave, rumbling thunder guitar and tinkling percussion set the atmosphere, for a character with a thousand yard stare from seeing too much horror, trees start howling in his ears.
The Lullaby will ease you into your nightmares, chasing away the day, the narrator can sit and watch you toss and turn once more. Slow taciturn drums and guitar, you start babbling in your sleep in a celtic tongue he doesn't quite comprehend.
Empty is a soft shoe shuffle for another loser whose ship didn't come in, how will he deal with all the death and betrayal, spilling his guts over the noir dance music, the strings add romanticism to the never-ending search for answers.
Two Rolls Of The Dice (Storm Part 3) is about gambling with life and death and trying to figure out if surviving was winning or losing, was she imbued with special powers or just damn lucky, this lures you in with strings and lush instrumentation setting fire to your perceptions to what a miracle it was.
Last Chance Saloon (Storm Part 4) is the aftermath of a huge bar fight, all the sorrows being drowned in golden showers afterwards, something devilish has twisted that vicars mind.
Falling into ambient swirls destroying your mood, rumours of your premature demise reach you, can you defy the rumours and rise from the pit your trapped in. He even shows up to his own wake still unable to dispel the rumours, a sirens voice keeps calling him as he keeps falling.
The Fog has descended once more, clearly enunciated vocals explain just how foggy life has become, within the lockdown and associated paranoia. Ogs sparse percussion seemingly the anchor for this tale of the ruination and desperation.
I Know You're Damaged you have had a few too many, or is it not enough, will you survive this endless binge, can this song encourage you towards redemption or is eternal damnation more your game, they want to solve all your heart break and show you the light among all this darkness.
The album closes with I Am Frank narrated as if they are declaiming Dennis Hoppers very soul, in his portrayal of Frank in Blue Velvet, this delves into the process of how Dennis becomes Frank and what it takes out of him, this keeps things taut and dark until the wheels finally fall off and the albums ends.
Find out more at https://frankfrombluevelvet.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-frank https://www.facebook.com/frankfrombluevelvet http://www.frankfrombluevelvet.com/
