The Lord Of Pop is back and he's brought many many IDHAS faves to join his regular collaborators. Nick Frater is definitely an extraordinary solo artist, but after well over a decade, he continues to hoover up like minded peers.
There has never been a duff album along the way and as we reach 2025, Croydon's finest seems to have made the BIG sounding album that he has always threatened to unleash. There's always been memorable choruses, a massive melody and harmony count and hook after hook, but the sound here is panoramic.
Frater has never hidden away, but here he proves himself the showman. The vocal is bold and far more upfront, the arrangements are varied and include big string affairs, mellotron and some real rocked up Guitar solos. It does sound a little (wonderfully) 70s at times. There are also songs that you might expect from him if you are familiar with his past such as Seraphim Called and Steal Away.
He's also been great at Lounge Pop and Dreaming Of A Wonderland fits that bill. Goodnight, Goodbye has a string arrangement to die for, a big McCartney Pop closer. but what bursts out most is the joyous bouncing pacy pop and there is plenty of that.
You will have heard the single One Minute and that still sounds as great as it always has, but here it is joined by My Heart's In Stereo, a Jeff Lynne in the 80s sort of races out of the blocks. You'd be tempted to say it is the best Pop song that you will hear this year, but then you hear I Know You Know I Know.
There is certainly a lot of ringing Guitar riffs around, some very Glam Rock, others definitely 70s Pop Rock sounding. The guest list is awesome and I obviously can't list everyone with space restrictions, but you can note them all on the Bandcamp page.
What is most to applaud are that many don't appear on other people's albums so much. Texas's Spyderpop duo Lannie Flowers and Danny Wilkerson, Probyn Gregory, Michael Simmons and Lady Prog herself, Cary Grace. The results are amazing and remind all of the beauty of Melodic Pop. OH CONTRAIRE! is simply splendid.
You can listen to and buy the album here. The album is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download. The album is on the Think Like A Key label and so can be bought here as well as at all good record stores.
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