Frou Frou - Details
Frou Frou
Details
2002 Universal/MCA
Personnel:
Imogen Heap - vocals
Imogen Heap & Huy Sigsworth - guitars, pianos, drums, synths, samplers, software, arrangements
Additional Personnel:
Jon Hassell - trumpet
Ioana Petcu-Colan - violin
Mich Gerber - bowed double bass
Makoto Sakamoto - drums
Elad Elharar - bass guitar
Bollywood Strings Orchestra
Production:
Frou Frou
After a better than modest reponse to her debut solo album I Megaphone and the single that propelled it Come Here Boy (a dark erotic ditty done with 80s stalwart Nik Kerhsaw of all people) Imogen Heap opted to do a group project as her sophomore effort, and the results are spectacular, if not altogether a sleeper hit in the making. Hooking up with one of her solo producers, Guy Sigsworth (most noted for his work with Trevor Horn and Wendy & Lisa to make the sound of Seal so lush) and going for a more electronic route, Frou Frou were born.
Falling somewhere between Kate Bush and Bjork for both left of field lyrics and expanse of sound, Frou Frou are still less ethereal than the former, more sane than the latter and more grounded than both. Like her solo output, Heap writes fairly dark lyrics that are not so much angst ridden as they are short intense narratives, particularly on the date-rape single Breathe In and the strange stalking-me/stalking-you techno-dirge of Psychobabble. The instrumentaion takes an electronica bent without sounding dated or overly trapped in conventions (no avalanches of breakbeats and pointless random bleeps and dings just for the sake of sonic ping-pong in the mixing room) but leans closer to the lush electro-acoustic styles of Faithless meets London Elektricity. Songs like Shh pulse and change direction several times before taking you to the next track, and Its Good To Be In Love and Flicks are downright catchy, helped along by a great subdued trumpet from avant-god Jon Hassell.
Overall, this is one of the better 'debuts' of 2002. Solid songwriting, pleasing performance, and the use of electronics as an expressive tool rather than a crutch makes for a very satisfying listen. And it grows better with succesive listens.
Details
2002 Universal/MCA
Personnel:
Imogen Heap - vocals
Imogen Heap & Huy Sigsworth - guitars, pianos, drums, synths, samplers, software, arrangements
Additional Personnel:
Jon Hassell - trumpet
Ioana Petcu-Colan - violin
Mich Gerber - bowed double bass
Makoto Sakamoto - drums
Elad Elharar - bass guitar
Bollywood Strings Orchestra
Production:
Frou Frou
After a better than modest reponse to her debut solo album I Megaphone and the single that propelled it Come Here Boy (a dark erotic ditty done with 80s stalwart Nik Kerhsaw of all people) Imogen Heap opted to do a group project as her sophomore effort, and the results are spectacular, if not altogether a sleeper hit in the making. Hooking up with one of her solo producers, Guy Sigsworth (most noted for his work with Trevor Horn and Wendy & Lisa to make the sound of Seal so lush) and going for a more electronic route, Frou Frou were born.
Falling somewhere between Kate Bush and Bjork for both left of field lyrics and expanse of sound, Frou Frou are still less ethereal than the former, more sane than the latter and more grounded than both. Like her solo output, Heap writes fairly dark lyrics that are not so much angst ridden as they are short intense narratives, particularly on the date-rape single Breathe In and the strange stalking-me/stalking-you techno-dirge of Psychobabble. The instrumentaion takes an electronica bent without sounding dated or overly trapped in conventions (no avalanches of breakbeats and pointless random bleeps and dings just for the sake of sonic ping-pong in the mixing room) but leans closer to the lush electro-acoustic styles of Faithless meets London Elektricity. Songs like Shh pulse and change direction several times before taking you to the next track, and Its Good To Be In Love and Flicks are downright catchy, helped along by a great subdued trumpet from avant-god Jon Hassell.
Overall, this is one of the better 'debuts' of 2002. Solid songwriting, pleasing performance, and the use of electronics as an expressive tool rather than a crutch makes for a very satisfying listen. And it grows better with succesive listens.
posted by theloniusfunk at 11:44 PM
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