Nick Frater - Nick Frater

 

From one extreme to the other for tonight's two reviews. Mopar Stars rattle the walls, Nick Frater caresses them gently. We've been with Nic Frater from the beginning of I Don't Hear A Single largely, certainly for 9 of the 10 years.

Album wise, it was from the start with 2018's Goodbye Kayfabe, but before that there was the 18 minute long The Sombrero Fallout Suite, a Todd Rungdren-esque joy, which I urge you to listen to here. Frater specialises in Pop Rock, particularly the 70s version.

There isn't a duff song amongst his back catalogue. The self titled album is up there with its best. Classic 10CC has been the biggest comparison, but here at times, parts of the album sound a little Squeeze, certainly Glenn Tilbrook, but the arrangements are bigger.

You'll have heard Mirror Mirror on the Listening To This Week Playlist and it may be the best Power Pop song that you will hear all year. Every Trick In The Book is the big arrangement number, wonderfully so, but the arrangements are massive throughout.

Supremely melodic throughout, as a keyboard player, the songs are very much focussed on those instruments, but it is never intrusive and allows the Piano Pop to stand out most, particularly, Play In The Shadows. Lazy Castles is splendid Easy Listening fayre and Another Tonight On The Town has a real swagger to it.

There is a stellar cast of guests, particularly on Have A Nice Day, including Spygenius's Peter Watts, Joe Kane, Jamie Whelligan and Steven Wilson with Ulysses's Luke Smith on Bass for large parts of the album. You know what you are gonna get with Nick Frater and the joyous Pop never stops.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can buy the Vinyl and CD here.

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