This record has some awesome grooves in it and more than it’s share of tasty passages. The guitar sound is nice and fat throughout, and the drum sound is groove-a-liciously out in front of the mix. Frazier proves to be a versatile and talented vocalist, demonstrating a smooth falsetto on the opening cut, “U Can’t Stop”. These guys have more than a pretty good idea on how to make a record and they demonstrate that by not overplaying and making good if not sometimes great ( check out the white noise on a turntable effect on the intro to “Heaven”) production choices.
I just can’t get past the songwriting. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not that memorable. They come close on a couple of tracks, but overall the album’s weak point is that the songs aren’t as good as the recordings. The aforementioned “Heaven” has a promising verse, but the chorus doesn’t deliver in that it sounds clumsy on the transition. Other tracks like “Nuthin” and “Is That OK?” fare better and give us a glimpse of how good this band could be if they could either write or get their hands on a winning tune.
Much has been made in the press material that accompanied this record about the 70’s soul sounds enclosed and the band’s preferences towards old school funk. This is no doubt the record’s strong suit. Frazier seems like a musician with a more than comprehensive knowledge of the history of what he’s laying down, as well as a solid roadmap in place on how to emulate the feelings of the best components of that history.
So I have mixed feelings towards this debut, but will be more than interested in what Rhett Frazier Inc. has to offer going forward. If the songwriting chops can ever catch up with everything else, the band may prove itself to be an emerging force.
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