"Hello, and welcome to the rest of your life. Before we begin this short journey, please sit back, relax and remember to enjoy yourselves... you scum."
And enjoyed myself I did because no less then a year since their EP Others, the overlooked maestros Frost* returned with what I consider their greatest record yet. I've been pretty open with my admiration for John Mitchell's opus and it pains me to see both him and Frost* elude the greater public for years now.
So here's the plan, with this review I hope to shed more light on this amazing trio because Day And Age is sensational and I've been struggling to stay away from it ever since its release which hasn't happened to me in a very long time. Now, I don't have a particular plan on how I'll approach this piece so I'll just wing it and see where that takes us. Here's the part where I would usually ask something like: "That sound good?" but I am feeling especially frisky today so you have no say in the matter! Not that you usually do but you get my drift.
Anyhow, I think some context is due because this is off to a chaotic start already so sit back, relax and don't forg... nope. Ummm, OK, so Frost* have an interesting history, one littered with hibernations due to its trio being quite busy, the aforementioned John Mitchell in particular since he's in It Bites, Kino, Arena, owns a studio, has produced for numerous bands AND has a solo project titled Lonely Robot which I covered multiple times on my page. Yet even with their busy schedules, each Frost* release showed a clear, get ready for it, progression as well as being refreshing which the prog scene often times struggles with.
The hidden classic Milliontown is regarded by many as one of the best prog recordings from the 2000's and while I don't agree, it's still a damn fine album. The complex compositions, mastery of instantly gratifying melodies and choruses resonated with me easily but Frost* always had an electronic touch in their music which set them apart and with time, this became more and more accentuated.
Jem Godfrey, the band's mastermind is largely responsible for their unique approach and being an amazing songwriter, singer, producer AND an even better keyboard player, you can never be quite sure where their songs will head. Falling Satellites saw the then quartet marry their blend of prog and pop with electronica like never before and it's a record I bump to this day. This was elevated further on the EP Others which I mentioned so when I saw them announcing Day And Age this year, I was elated to see them back so fast and extra curious because I honestly had no idea if they would continue on the insane route Others had. I mean just listen to this!
A very far cry from "Black Light Machine" but I honestly prefer this era of the band. They're more focused, fun, quirky and they seem to be having a blast which translates really great. For me this is THE party anthem for the apocalypse which is actually a great transition because at times Day And Age embraces the absurdity we're living in but they approach it from a different and more restrained angle. Granted, prog snobs will still be smirking but let's be real here, those people represent the antonym for the word "progressive" so their opinions hold extremely little value to me.
Anyhow, I'm itching over here so let's finally talk about the record in question as we have much to go through.
This first thing that I took notice of, apart from being called scum (love that btw) is the tone of the lyrics, they're pretty bleak but the trio counteracts this with a really driving drum groove and Mitchell's vocals and guitar plucks reminiscent of The Police but as this eleven-minute long slapper moves forward, the more ominous sounding elements become more visible as well as the song getting heavier and darker, mimicking the quiet rage and hopelessness that the lyrics mention. And because this is Frost* we're talking about, expect stellar production and equally convincing performances but more on that later.
As you get yourself acquainted with Day And Age, at a certain point perhaps you'll realize something is missing, something that the band often times had - guitar solos. Given Mitchell's prowess that could be seen as a detriment but rest assured, this trio more than make up to that with truly stellar songs, each one covering a phase of the band while simultaneously combining all of them in the best way possible. Some even break new ground for the band like my favorite "The Boy Who Stood Still" which features multiple spoken word parts by the actor Jason Isaacs. This feature may sound like a gimmick but that could not be further from the truth because how the song is structured. As much as he's important in the song, being the voice of this story and all, the underlying instrumentation is always just as engaging, if not more.
From the get go you're greeted with glorious synths and as Isaacs starts narrating, the other instruments gradually start appearing, each existing in their own pocket before finally settling in and revealing the first movement of the track in its full glory. Godfrey of course occasionally appears in a shape of an effect, voice, different sounding synth line and extra ambiance but never overtakes Isaacs' voice.
And only after we're greeted with a dramatic pause does Isaacs step away and allow the band to fully showcase what's been happening in the background. And only then do we hear Godfrey's voice and fuck is it great. Now would be a great time to say what's the actual narrative here before resuming my fanboying so let's do that.
Like the title implies, a boy is our protagonist but this is no ordinary boy. Like let's say Tommy from The Who, this boy has a special ability, an ability to become invisible when staying perfectly still and with time he started to phase in and out sight, always observing his surroundings and slowly watching his friends and loved ones die, be it via natural causes or suicide.
"Eventually he was alone." When that part comes in, I get very emotional because of the amazing build up you've been listening to five minutes as well as some really evocative backing vocals and synth work. After this the boy is gone for good, seemingly taking a mantle as a watcher, always monitoring us and all the stupid shit we do as a species.
I may be way off here and that's alright but for me this song is about those moments when you "phase out" during parties or conversations or even those sudden instances of the blues. That feeling of insignificance, perceived invisibility and contemplating on what we as a species represent and where we're headed, all that to me is this boy and it hits like a truck.
So it should come as no surprise that the following track, "Island Life" is a much different beast, seemingly upbeat, obviously cynical which is as British as it comes. Remember, sit back and relax because everything is totally fine and please do not question the status quo. In the words of the band: "Enjoy the sights/And when the sunlight burns you, close your eyes/This fatal dose of island life"
Ignorance is truly blissful but top it all off, the Morse code pattern in the ending spells out "scum" which is a stroke of pure genius.
This is not the first time the band is repeating a motif though, on the contrary, you have both the word "scum" and the girl from the beginning appearing on multiple tracks and sometimes in modified manners like Godfrey saying it instead of the girl. The phrase "everything is okay" also makes its appearance on multiple occasions, particularly on the closer "Repeat To Fade" where Mitchell straight up screams it in increasingly hysterical manner. Very fun stuff despite the song being dark as hell and ending the record on an unusually somber tone.
Speaking of which, the main melody from "Day And Age" is another amazing easter egg the band uses in "Repeat To Fade" and I had the biggest grin-stank face hybrid expression when I heard it for the first time. THIS is how it's done boys and gals, brilliant, brilliant stuff.
Damn, I am not used to praising things this much but if nothing, this only proves how special of a record Day And Age is, so to temporarily put a stop to that, I am gonna "smoothly" transition and address the production and performances like I said I would. Boom.
So far this year has had some truly great releases production-wise, most notably Imperative Imperceptible Impulse which I covered a few days ago where I pointed out the insane attention to detail as well as organizing all that angular chaos but not affecting its power. Day And Age is obviously worlds apart from Ad Nauseam but I have noticed the same perfectionism here which, considering how insanely layered Frost* songs are, speaks of Godfrey's talent as a producer and hearing the final result, I have no issue calling this the best mixed record I've heard this year. The drums are punchy, massive but organic-sounding, the vocals are perfectly placed and never overbearing, the guitars and bass comfortably sitting, assisting each other and the other instruments and everything that's occurring sounds crystal clear which brings me to the performances. I touched on Godfrey and Mitchell so let's talk about the unsung hero of Frost*, Nathan King.
Like the legendary Tony Levin, King enriches every song he touches with tasteful playing but never holding back technically. His tone also reminds me of Levin's, being this chunky and at times really damn funky presence and like the rest of the band, he absolutely shines in each song, regardless if it's piano-driven, a prog epic or anything in between. Now maybe you've noticed how there's three of them in the picture above and so far no mention of a drummer. Losing Craig Blundell seemed like it would pose an issue so the band needed to go big here and that they did because they employed three top tier players to help them out. They are: Kaz Rodriguez, Darby Todd and Pat Mastelotto and each of them get enough space to shine and to put their own spin on things, never settling for anything less than stellar. The fills in particular deserve special mention because of how flavorful and creative are.
And there I go praising again hahaha, oh well. Now I could link another song in here but since we (me) crossed the 10 000 words threshold, I think it's time to wrap it up.
For me, Day And Age represents the very best of not just prog but music in general. It's engaging, fun, evocative and every mood is perfectly represented musically. And no matter how much I listened to it, I always immediately wanted to jump right back in and see what insane detail I missed. At the time of writing Day And Age clearly stands above all the other 103 records I've listened to from 2021 and it's going to take a very special record to challenge this. That or I am just overhyping it but you know what, I am pretty sure I am not.
This is everything I want from progressive music in 2021 and it is of the outmost importance that Frost* receive the attention they so much deserve. In the words of Dennis Reynolds in that one episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: "This game has gone long enough!" so join me, sit back, relax, play this and repeat to fade.
Day And Age was released via Inside Out Music on May 14th.
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