Frost* is back, with a new album on May 15th; ; Day And Age. It is the fourth, FROST* album, and features Jem Godfrey once again joined by John Mitchell and Nathan King. The band also uses three guest drummers: Kaz Rodriguez, (Chaka Khan, Josh Groban), Darby Todd, (The Darkness, Martin Barre), and Pat Mastelotto, (King Crimson, Mister Mister).
The album also features actor Jason Isaacs, from the Harry Potter film series, The OA and Star Trek Discovery. He voices the entire song, “The Boy Who Stood Still”, on Day and Age.
Jem Godfrey comments on the new album include, “In January, the band set up a new temporary studio for a further week in a converted coastguard tower at Dungeness in East Sussex”. “We were 30 feet by the sea, next to a nuclear power station and a lighthouse, in midwinter. So, there was hardly any daylight and the weather was dreadful”, laughs bassist Nathan King, “We wrote “Terrestrial” and “Repeat To Fade”, there, and you can definitely hear the bleak, isolated, oppression having an effect on us. The songs we wrote were far darker – the wind howling around the building at night, the power station generating crackles on the audio, a huge lighthouse next door sweeping light into the fog every 30 seconds and John screaming “ENJOY YOURSELVES YOU SCUM” into a microphone. It was absolutely brilliant!”
On that note, let’s begin:
After a young girl introduces the album by stating, “Please sit back and enjoy yourself….you scum”. “Day And Age”, kicks off with some wonderful keyboards, followed by bass, electric lead guitar and drums. John Mitchell repeatedly sings, “Who am I?” “We’re living in a day and age, (which sounds more like dying age), with the writing on the wall”. The guitar chords are excellent, as are the keys. This opener and title song, is the best on the album. It is also the most dynamic song on the album. A great song that will be played over and over this year, for sure. At over 11 minutes, every moment is fascinating. The little girl’s voice returns in a haunting refrain, which is cool. I easily could see this being one of the top songs of the year.
Cool atmospherics and keyboard sounds open “Terrestrial”. The punching drums and blazing electric guitars make this track another of the best. The ripping guitar riff is excellent and completely different. The drumming is supreme. The keyboards…just magic. Second best track on the album. A true powerhouse…in true Frost* tradition.
“Waiting For The Lie”, opens with running piano and excellent vocals, “These are the games that we play. While we’re waiting for the lie”. The keyboards, atmospherics, and orchestration are incredible. The excellent vocals continue, “When you find that you’ve nowhere to hide. (We are all waiting for the lie). The truth is so undignified. We all carry the guilt. When you know you’ll be breaking their heart? When deception is part of the lie”. Yes, we all lived through the lie, with dear leader, here in the USA, over the past year.
From there, things drop off the cliff. “The Boy Who Stood Still”, does use a famous actor to tell the story. But the story is not very interesting. The music is still engaging, but the story is not.
“Island Life”, is another fun song, in the tradition of Frost*. It opens with the sounds of ocean waves and John Mitchell singing, “Holidays in the sun. Sending out your postcards…Enjoy yourself”. Yes, the fun/ironic kind of song you can always appreciate from Frost*. Who doesn’t like ‘island life’, in the sun? The keyboards and orchestration are wonderful. “Livin’ in this island life!” A fun and ironic anthem for these guys, who live on the emerald islands of the UK.
“Skywards”, opens with cool, deep keyboards, and ghostly sounds. Then, it sounds like many other Frost* and Kino songs.
“Kill The Orchestra”, is another song that kinda meanders. It opens well, but slowly breaks down. It is the second longest track on the album, and it is way too long at over nine minutes. Five would have been enough for me. The keyboards and drumming are stunning, none the less.
“Repeat To Fade”, as the closer, is full of surprises. John Mitchell does scream, “Enjoy yourself…you scum!” the album’s endless theme. Cool keys, drums, orchestration and supreme drumming make this another of the best songs on the album. “There’s only one way out, repeat to fade!” Wish this one was the over 9-minute track. The electric guitar is great. Imagine strobe lights with this one.
This is a great come back for Frost*, off of hiatus. I like the album, but was expecting so much more. If you are an, It Bites, Frost*, Arena, Kino, A, The Urbane or Lonely Robot fan, you will no doubt ‘relax and enjoy yourself’, and this album; like the narrator said…. I’m sure.
Track listing
1. Day And Age 11:49
2. Terrestrial 5:13
3. Waiting For The Lie 4:31
4. The Boy Who Stood Still 7:33
5. Island Life 4:14
6. Skywards 4:13
7. Kill The Orchestra 9:27
8. Repeat To Fade 6:14