For the five-member band, which is already a local favorite and a regular in Chennai circuits, this is the debut mainstream venture, which sure looks to be promising.
The theme centers around a fictional character created by the band itself. His name is Frank, wears a long London-style hat, wears cool black shades and is, as claimed by the band, an alter-ego of the members. He seems a very colorful character; the songs are all about him, each track seems to add another quality in the mysterious Frank, and by the end, you have an entire story about him.
The opening of DYNAMITE might just throw you off guard with its brilliance. The rhythmic guitar behind the signature keyboard solo is just pure bliss. There is something about the keyboard which instantly made me wish it was playing alone without the drums or the guitar, and as if the band were listening, they obliged with a part at around 3:00 with Bjorn singing with only the keyboard, before it expands beautifully. The keyboard with the bass make this track un-missable.
COP CHASE: Follow Frank as he escapes the cops in this enjoyable guitar-driven track. The lyrics go “You can’t catch me, I’m gone, gone, gone…I’m too sly…for you”. The instrumentation is wonderful in the sense that it supports the lyrics well. It’s naughty and fun in the beginning, but then goes soft later, and then when the above lyrics come, the beats are back.
THE FAST SONG is the longest track in the album, with sweet vocal harmonies and insane keyboard work. My favorite part begins at the end of the guitar solo at around 4:24 – Rajan Chelliah joins Bjourn on vocal harmonies, and the keyboard and the guitars work splendidly in sync with each other, bringing the track to a great end.
Now that FGTF have firmly pasted this character in your minds, the lyrics of FRANK’S GOT THE FUNK really get you to picture “li’l Frankie walkin’ down the street” with his long hat and black shades. Keyboards and guitars both chip in with terrific solos to match his style and attitude. A powerful, spirited Alternative track that leaves you with little doubt in the end that Frank’s indeed got the Funk!
OLD MAN’s got catchy guitar solos, with the keyboard adding effects with good measure. I loved some of the riffs on this track, and also the vocals. The song goes for a slight stop towards the end, with a helicopter sound in the background before the main riff jumps in again.
FGTF is not a bad effort at all; in fact, the best part I found about their album is the variety in each of the tracks. The keyboard is the star attraction agreed, but a couple of songs have great guitar work, and there are others with nice drumming and vocals too. Taking this Frank character of theirs, the band sails through various genres in this album, each presenting him in a different way, a different color. Character or theme-based projects are still new in this country, and ol’ Frankie is already a star!
Buy the album! They aren’t “cool gais” for nothing.
Bottom Line
"Taking this Frank character of theirs, the band sails through various genres in this album, each presenting him in a different way, a different color. Character or theme-based projects are still new in this country, and ol’ Frankie is already a star!
Buy the album! They aren’t “cool gais” for nothing."
