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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I Don't Hear A Single Best 100 Albums Of 2025 : 61- 70

 

Today we reach Numbers 61-70 in our Best Albums Of 2025. It has been really pleasing to see followers visit the albums thus far. 2025 was a great year for the type of music we cover and it is very competitive for the remaining 60 albums in the countdown.

With it being our 10th year we thought that we could back to the old images that were posted as a bit of fun with the Audio Extravaganzas. A reminder of the old, much quieter, days for us and hopefully a bit of fun for newcomers. 

61 The Len Price 3 - Misty Medway Magick      IDHAS Review

The Len Price 3 · Emily's Shop

62 Jumbo Chords - Throw Away (Buy Another One)      IDHAS Review

63 Nick Frater - OH CONTRAIRE!      IDHAS Review

64 Lolas - Big Hits And Freak Disasters      IDHAS Review

65 Girl For Samson - Blend All The Seasons      IDHAS Review

66 Cherry Fez - SUPEREXCITED     IDHAS Review

67 He's Dead Jim - Head Like A Toyshop    IDHAS Review

68   Them Elephants - Quattro    IDHAS Review

69 The Elbow Patches - Achingly Familiar     IDHAS Review

70 Drugs In Sport - If Only We Could Use These Powers For Good     IDHAS Review

...............................................

Nick Frater - OH CONTRAIRE!

 

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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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 41-50

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

41 Gentlemen Rogues - Surface Noise     IDHAS Review

42 Macseal - Permanent Repeat       IDHAS Review

43 Mt. Misery - Love In Mind     IDHAS Review

44 I Do You Do Karate - III      IDHAS Review

45 Caddy - Caddy     IDHAS Review

46 The Junipers - Imaginary Friends        IDHAS Review

47 Steve Conte - The Concrete Jangle      IDHAS Review

48 Nick Frater - The Rebutles 1967-1970      IDHAS Review

49 The Resonars - Electricity Plus      IDHAS Review

  

50 Extra Arms - Radar     IDHAS Review

...............................................

Nick Frater - The Rebutles 1967-1970

 

Nick Frater is someone who has been on here regularly via his solo albums. Here you get much more because the list of guest artists reads like a party at I Don't Hear A Single. Rather than take up all the writing space namechecking them here, I will post the list at the end of the review and you will see what I mean.

This isn't a tribute to The Beatles, but a tribute to that other world bothering band, The Rutles and this isn't a covers album. These are 11 original songs. The first Rebutles album covered the band's imagined solo years, now we get the band's rarities from the 1967 - 1970 period. 

All of the songs were recorded using instruments and recording methods from the period and written by Frater. Anything by the Croydon musician is always totally melodic and catchy and here the mix of vocalists is particularly splendid. 

It is deliberately akin to both fab fours and loyal to the period, particularly the magnificent The Devil You Know and in true Rutles fashion the material is great pastiche, but the songs stand up in their own right beautifully. For instance you don't have to be in Mensa to realise what Loose Tea In Disguise is aimed at.

Don't Play The Fool is part great McCartney Piano Pop, but also stands up in comparison to those great 70s Pop Rock albums. Back In The Unicorn Inn is obviously aimed at the USSR song, but it also sounds very Harrison and is also very Bop Shoo Wop. 

I could go on, but so many of you are Beatles fans that you will immediately get the references, indeed novices would too. There is also plenty of faithful references to The Rutles, particularly involving Tea. Indeed Frater takes the Innes role and cracks it with the mixture of melody and wit.

Many of you know how I don't "get" tribute albums in most shapes or forms, this isn't that. Also many albums laden in with can be one joke, this isn't that either. There is a real warmth in the arrangements, just like the band they acknowledge managed. The album is both heartwarming and great Pop and you really can't ask for more than that.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

The Cast :

Nick Frater - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keys, Anvil

Kirkcaldy McKensie - Vocals

Ivan Clare - Vocals

Luke Smith - Vocals, Guitar

Jake Smith - Vocals, Guitar

Peter Watts - Vocals, Guitar

Joe Kane - Vocals, Guitar, Tapes, Fire Bell

Jamie Whelligan - Vocals, Bass

Chris Mulligan - Bass

Andy Pickering - Keys

Andy Thompson - Mellotron

Joe Montague - Drums

Chris Twomey - Backing Vocals

Scott Robertson - Backing Vocals

Kevin Robertson - Backing Vocals

Ross Palmer - Recorder

Scott Gagner - Psychedelic breakfast

Michael Simmons - Bass harmonica

Simon Love - Percussion

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2022 : 21-30

This year, the standard has been the highest since IDHAS began six and a half years ago. Narrowing things down to this 100 as been really difficult. For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. 

No 21 : The Green Pajamas - Forever For A Little While    IDHAS Review

No 22 : Ian McNabb - Nabby Road      IDHAS Review





No 23 : Uni Boys - Do It All Next Week    IDHAS Review

 

No 24 : The Chrysanthemums - Decoy For A Dognapper!         IDHAS Review

No 25 : Nick Frater - Aerodrome Motel  IDHAS Review

 

No 26 : The Sun Sawed In 1/2 - Triptych (2CD)       IDHAS Review


  


No 27 : Steve Robinson & Ed Woltil - Shadow Play     IDHAS Review

No 28 :  Bird Streets - Lagoon    IDHAS Review


 

No 29 : Dave Cope - Killer Mods From Inner Space   IDHAS Review

No 30 : The Toms - Stereo       IDHAS Review

.................

Nick Frater - Aerodrome Motel

 

Nick Frater is prolific. An album a year is something that rarely happens these days unless you are Guided By Voices when they appear almost monthly. There is also much being recorded in between the releases, the man never stops.

There can be a danger with this. Frater's sugar sweet vocals across the ten year period risk becoming too much of a good thing with the sheer volume of music. Thankfully, he has avoided this by evolving album to album, not majorly, bit by bit and this has been both admirable and effective.

People may expect that Frater wants to be Paul McCartney or Andy Sturmer when I sense it is really Todd Rundgren that is the target, Aerodrome Motel sounds very and deliberately 70s as well as being the nearest thing to a group album. The vocals are certainly varied and fir the songs wonderfully.

This group sound is aided by the collaborators that include Dana Countryman, The Vapour Trails, Nick Bertling, Whelligan, Joe Kane and Luke Smith. I'm particularly delighted about Smith as I burst into tears constantly about the loss of Ulysses. 

That 70s feeling covers the decade. Rough & Tumble adds a Thunderthighs like Sax and an hypnotic The Equalizer type background synth. Frater's vocal takes on a more earthy tone and the song moves at a rapid pace underlining the man's gift with a chorus.

Dancing With A Gertrude is very different, a big studio ballad, the type you used to hear on those classic 70s Pop Rock albums from the likes of Jigsaw when the singles in no way revealed the delights on the album. No Hard Feelings aches with a weeping twang.

Dear Modern Times is magnificent piano pop, beautifully arranged with a chorus to die for. White Courtesy Telephone is a great closer, part lullaby, part melancholic with a magnificent Country guitar steel twang.

The stand out song though is the splendid Love Heist, a potential pop single of the highest order. It is the type of song that you hear less and less these days with the singles chart being so irrelevant. Iain Hornal gets there at times, but nothing matches this. The chorus will stay with you forever.

Aerodrome is a wonderful album. I'm not gonna go on about it being Frater's best ever because every album he offers up is great, always a little different. It is like having a Brill Building in Croydon and oh those choruses!!!! Highly Recommended!

You can listen to and buy the album here, here and here and everywhere.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2021 : 11-20

It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a List person, I just think what's the point?

However, for the last few years I have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

There are few rules. All albums have to have been reviewed on IDHAS. Reissues and Live Albums are not included. Previously unreleased albums are included, but Best Of's are not. For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

No 11 : Mothboxer - On The Flip Side     IDHAS Review





No 12 : David Brookings - Mania At The Talent Show    IDHAS Review

 

No 13 : Edward Rogers - Catch A Cloud     IDHAS Review

 

No 14 : Nick Frater - Earworms          IDHAS Review

      

No 15 : Caper Clowns - Abdicate The Throne    IDHAS Review

       

No 16 : The Armoires - Incognito       IDHAS Review


 


No 17 : The Boxcar Suite - Every Side Of The Abyss     IDHAS Review

No 18 :  The James Clark Institute - The Colour Of Happy   IDHAS Review

No 19 : The Toms - Tomplicated   IDHAS Review

          

No 20 : Quick Fiction - Fingers Crossed         IDHAS Review

.................

Nick Frater - Earworms

 

Big Stir don't get a fair crack review wise on I Don't Hear A Single and it is really unfair. I feel caught between the devil and the deep blue sea because of my involvement with the label. I get concerned that reviews will be treated with a "well he would say that wouldn't he."

It is even worse with Nick Frater because I'm a long time fan and friend, so there is double the impact. But, I realise now that I am just being silly and that over five years on, readers of IDHAS know that I only cover releases that I like and would never review something simply because of a connection. 

You should also expect a couple more Big Stir label reviews over the next week. So to Nick Frater, a stand out in the UK Guitar Pop fraternity, who has never ever made an album that isn't top notch. Over recent years, there have been quite a few UK and Irish artists who have excelled at offering up 70s Pop Rock albums. Iain Hornal and Ulysses spring to mind.

The latter veers towards Pop, whilst the latter is more in a Rock direction. Earworms though not only provides the similar references, but it sounds like it was recorded in the Mid 70s, a sort of rediscovered lost album. Every song is built around the melody and it is that melody that provides the vibe, fast or slow.

Notwithstanding the pop sensibilities, catch all choruses and Frater's sublime soothing vocal, every song is beautifully arranged. This feels more like a group album, although it isn't, than previous albums. To top everything off, there is a stellar list of guests.

Appearances from Roger Joseph Manning Jr, Darian Sahanaja, Dana Countryman, Mike Randle, Nick Bertling and John Lathrop are amongst those that gilt Earworms. Everything is so 70s, but especially the Guitar solos. Those solos aren't prevalent, but when they arrive they just light up a song.

As for the songs, Buggin' Out is a real showstopper and opens up with a reel Pilot feel at times, guitar wise. It's All Rumours is even jauntier and probably the best song here. Not Born Again is another bouncy chipper affair with a chorus to die for. 

It isn't all about bounce though, although there is plenty of it, Lucky Strike is very Jellyfish and The Unbroken lands somewhere between McCartney and Liverpool Express. Who Says I Need A Plan even heads towards American Graffiti ballad territory.

Then there is the wonderful Piano Pop of the closer, How To Survive Somebody, a slowed down joy, almost Broadway like with a burst out Guitar Solo. Frater's development as a songwriter is magnificent, particularly considering that he is so prolific. Highly Recommended!

You can listen to and buy the album on either Nick or Big Stir's Bandcamp sites as well as the main Big Stir site. The album is available as on CD, Vinyl or as a download.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2020 : 11-20

It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a List person, I just think what's the point.

However, for the last few years I have compiled annual Best Of 's because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

I would also add that the Top 100 includes albums available as Download Only. To suggest that they are anything less than equal to a Physical release is grossly unfair, even more so in 2020 with all that has happened during the year. To qualify, an album has to be available for sale in any format.

For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to where you can find further details on how to listen or buy the album. 

No 11 : Nick Frater - Fast & Loose    IDHAS Review

No 12 : Joe Giddings - Better From Here      IDHAS Review








No 13 : Silver Sun - Switzerland     IDHAS Review

 

No 14 : Sparks - A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip          IDHAS Review

      

No 15 : Greg Pope - Wishing On A Dark Star    IDHAS Review

No 16 : Mason Summit - Negative Space       IDHAS Review




  



No 17 : The Foreign Films - Ocean Moon     IDHAS Review

No 18 :  Mooner - The Alternate Universe of Love    IDHAS Review

No 19 : Kiwi Jr. - Football Money   IDHAS Review

          

No 20 : Parsonsfield - Happy Hour On The Floor         IDHAS Review

.................

Sweet Sweat - Maximum Saturation

 

Released on Nick Frater's Great Sheiks label, London Trio, Sweet Sweat  have released a wonderfully loose debut album. Recorded at State Of The Ark studios in London on the Rolling Stones old EMI desk and produced and engineered by Frater (Does the man ever sleep?), this is Rock in every sense of the word.

The Stones recorded Start Me Up on the desk and that gives you some idea of the direction and sound.  All the vintage gear was intentionally recorded to sound like it could have been made in early 70s.. They describe it as Garage Rock played in a Pub or Pub Rock played in a Garage, this is a little unfair because at times there is a UK Beat feel to proceedings.

This though would be a UK Beat with lots and lots of solos. The looseness is almost jamming at times, but the direction is clear. Songs are built on Riffs a la Black Crowes, but the material is far more reminiscent of Stray or Man. 

The drum sound sounds far more natural, sort of early AC/DC whose drums sounded more rehearsal studio than modern recording studio which perfectly fits the sound and aim of Maximum Saturation. The album was recorded a while ago  and almost came out then until life got in the way for all. 

It sat on a shelf until Nick Frater decided the world should hear it and mastered the album, specifically because it was a definite electric led reaction to what 2020 had offered up, hence the 1st January 2021 release date to ensure it was the sound of music untouched by the pandemic.

This release deserves your attention. It is a reminder of the album age and is certainly "Heavy Man", but is the type of album that isn't made any more. Steve Lowe's vocals are splendidly earthy and sound as though all he wants to do is play those Guitar licks and singing gets in the way. This earthiness and sound ensures Maximum Saturation steers clear of what could have easily gone down the derivative and tedious Blues Rock avenue.

Girlfriend is my particular favourite with its in your face riff, but Not Willing To Play is a close second. The wonderful closing Outro, sounds as though it is in an actual Rock Club, which is ideally where you would listen to Sweet Sweat. One day soon hopefully!

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find out more about Nick Frater here.

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Nick Frater - Fast & Loose

Croydon's finest, Nick Frater returns with his wonderful brand of Pop and seeing as the UK used to be the world's finest at this sort of material, it is particularly sad to note that Frater is one of the few exponents here in Brexit Land.

His signing to Big Stir would appear to be a marriage made in heaven as his brand of Pop Rock seems ideally suited to the West Coast label. However, bar a couple of Vocal Harmony driven songs, this album feels very British.

There also seems to be less Guitar and so the songs have the vocals at the forefront in true Singer Songwriter style. It does sound very 70's, but beautifully so. Fast & Loose can rock, but its gently and here his superb voice is showcased.








IDHAS has been a big supporter of Nick, simply due to his talent and you can read our reviews of his previous albums here. He featured in the I Don't Hear A Single Top 10 Of The Year in both 2018 and 2019 and Fast & Loose is sure to ensure that he will again.

It strikes me that he would never want to make the same album twice and having mastered the likes of Power Pop and Rundgren Territory etc, it feels like the right time to nail the Pop Territory of the 70s, particularly the tail end of Glam Rock.

I definitely wouldn't suggest that there is no variety here. Let's Hear It For Love is terrific Glam Rock and Cocaine Girls is a great cross between both UK and US New Wave. California Waits brings memories of Christie and Edison Lighthouse and may be the best song on the album.








Would You Like To Go is California harmony heaven, but it is the Singer Songwriter joy that rings home most. Moonstruck is so Gilbert O'Sullivan, That Ship Has Sailed is so Art Garfunkel, Luna is so Andrew Gold.

The album opens up with a wonderful Telstar like instrumental. That title track conjures up Cinematic mid 60's Psych. That may be Nick's next direction, it'd certainly delight me, In the meantime, I'll just admire his mission to keep Playdoh in business.

What you do have here is one of the great Pop Records of recent years on one of the best of the new crop of labels. Fast & Loose is another splendid album from a musician who can release an album a year without ever covering the same ground. Highly Recommended.







You can listen to the album here or here. You can find Nick Frater's website here and Big Stir's here.


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Custard Flux, Blaine Campbell and Blake Jones And The Trike Shop - I Don't Hear A Single Audio Extravaganza Volume 100 Live Specials

Welcome to the Fifth of our week long Audio Extravaganza Live Session Specials. Today we have exclusive sessions from Curvey of Custard Flux, Blaine Campbell and Blake Jones And The Trike Shop. If that isn’t enough excitement for you, we also have two exclusive recordings from I Don’t Hear A Single Favourites.

We begin with a song from Nick Frater. Who leads the way in bringing Power Pop to a new audience. His fourth album, Full Fathom Freight Train from last year was marked high up in many critics Best Of Year Charts. It was in the I Don’t Hear A Single Top 10.

Frater has already recorded a new album, Fast And Loose which will be released in the Autumn, marking his debut for the Big Stir label. He also is currently involved in a ground breaking Instagram project, called 59 Viganettes in which he releases a track each day, each being under 59 seconds. Today he provides a wonderful cover of Gilbert O’ Sullivan’s Alone Again Naturally.

For the past 30 years or so, Detroit’s Curvey has been the driving force behind the magnificent Luck Of Eden Hall. The band’s mixture of Psych and Prog with big hints of Pop has been a revelation. Custard Flux is Curvey’s largely electricity free project utilising traditional instruments.

The first two albums, Helium and Echo were in Prog Magazines Top 10 End Of Year Chart in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Both albums reveal the breadth of the man’s inventiveness. A third album, Oxygen has just been recorded and will be released on the 5th July.

This outstanding solo session reveals both the range of music that I Don’t Hear A Single covers  and the talent that Curvey has.

Los Angeles’s Blaine Campbell released his fourth album, Under The Tidal Wave in December of last year. Campbell is known for exceptional harmony driven melodic songs. I suppose you could frame it as Beach Boys Pop.

However Under The Tidal Wave reaches out far further encompassing many different styles in songs that beautifully arranged and sung. The album gently Rocks. Here’s a four song session that Blaine recorded for us pre-lockdown.

Bristol and Bath quartet Ulysses are a revelation with their mixture of Glam and Chorus led Rock. There is a real joy and wit that they bring to their singalong songs. Without ever taking themselves too seriously, their four albums offer up real earworms that are immaculately produced.

A breath of fresh air in what has become a po faced musical climate, the quality of the songwriting is overlooked in all the fun. The band’s latest album, On Safari was second in I Don’t Hear A Single’s Top 10 albums of 2019. Here they perform an exclusive Acoustic Version of a new song, Supply And Demand.

Fresno’s Blake Jones And The Trike Shop have been around since 1993, this five piece since 2005. Their fifth album, Make, is a joyous Art Pop listen. Indie in the truest sense of the word, they offer up great pop songs with unusual arrangements.

Imagine a Psych band playing songs that should be in the Top 40 and you’d not be far away. Highly original and now part of the Big Stir stable, the band play four songs recorded pre lockdown. Three are from previous albums, including Soft Rock Girlfriend from Make and Shake Your Dress is exclusively new.


Thanks as always to Jim Moody for his technical excellence. The details of our fourth special are below:


01 Nick Frater Intro
02 Alone Again Naturally
03 Curvey Intro
04 Extraordinary Man
05 Magazines
06 Custard Raga
07 Helium
08 Blaine Campbell Intro
09 Someday You'll Be Mine
10 Happy Faces
11 Shoutin' Dont Count
12 Surrender
13 Ulysses Intro
14 Supply And Demand (Acoustic)
15 Blake Jones Intro
16 Soft Rock Girlfriend
17 Shake Your Dress
18 Forestiere Gardens
19 Sun Up



IDHAS Audio Extravaganza Volume 100 Live Special 5



Or Click Below







You can still listen to Monday's Caper Clowns Session here.

You can still listen to Tuesday's Sessions by Spygenius and Chris Church here.

You can listen to Wednesday's Sessions by Nick Piunti, The Vapour Trails and Dolph Chaney here.

You can listen to Thursday's Sessions featuring Ex Norwegian and John Howard here.


You can listen and buy Nick Frater's albums here. You can find more about him on his website here .

You can listen and buy Custard Flux albums here. You can listen and buy Luck Of Eden Hall albums here.

You can listen and buy Blaine Campbell's albums here.

You can listen and buy Ulysses's albums here. You can find more about the band on their website here.

You can listen and buy Blake Jones And The Trike Shop's albums here. You can find out more about the band here.



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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2019 : Top 10

01 Norman - Buzz And Fade       IDHAS Review







02 Ulysses - On Safari       IDHAS Review

03 Nick Frater - Full Fathom Freight-Train       IDHAS Review








04 Mansion Harlots - All Around A Fairground       IDHAS Review

05 Bryan Estepa - Sometimes I Just Don't Know       IDHAS Review








06 The Junior League - Adventureland       IDHAS Review









07 The Brothers Steve - #1        IDHAS Review

08 The Armoires - Zibaldone        IDHAS Review








09 Ben Vogel - Whistling After Midnight        IDHAS Review








10 Pernice Brothers - Spread The Feeling       IDHAS Review







.....................

Nick Frater - Full Fathom Freight-Train

OK! I've hung on to this for a long time. I've been bursting to tell you about it for months and held back waiting for the release date. Then that day arrived and I thought again. I decided to hold back. Not because it isn't wonderful, because it is, of course it is. But I wanted to allow other reviews to get out and about, before I expressed my thoughts.

This is simply because I consider Nick to be a great friend and quite a few know that. So I didn't want my review to be tainted with a "you would say that wouldn't you" tint. I've said in the past that if I Don't Hear A Single was an album, it would be a Nick Frater album and Mr Croydon doesn't let up here.







The man is a walking Jukebox. He's already probably two albums ahead of this. You just can't stop the pop. 2018's Goodbye Kayfabe was in IDHAS's Top 10 Of The Year as well as on many other lists. You can read that review here. Now Frater ups the ante with these 10 pop nuggets.

I consider Nick Frater to be one of the great singer songwriters of our age. If this was the 70's, he'd be selling millions, living in a castle with a pile of coke. Too many write about how awful their life and times are. I'm told it's much easier to write a sad song than a happy one. Well some work must have gone into this one.






My favourite song on first listen was What Does Good Look Like? It still is. It is Gilbert O'Sullivan in feel with full on harmonies, it is classic mid 70's stardust. But it is surrounded by top quality. Sunshine After Rain is west coast sea side Wilson-esque, Mermaid Street is pure Streets Of San Francisco and Your Latest Break Up Song is in Bay City Rollers territory.

There's a killer Pilot like riff that opens up the show stopper that is Holding On To You. There's even Disco Pop on The Getaway with a couple of superb Guitar Solos to boot. What is most noticeable most is that Frater stretches his vocals even further here. This adds a new dimension to the continued excellence in his arrangements. Full Fathom Freight-Train is a fun packed journey, an essential listen, a must have.







You can listen to and buy the album here. You can also buy the Vinyl Edition there. The CD is available on the always excellent Kool Kat label here.


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