Uncle Frank – Fountains
Produced by the Uncle Frank Band and
mixed by award winning mixer and producer Tim Latham, renowned for his work
with A Tribe Called Quest and The Rolling Stones among others, the first single
from Uncle Frank’s second album has hit and promises to build enormous
anticipation for its upcoming release. “Fountains” is a clear evolution for the
band over the fantastic songs on their 2015 debut Maximum Respect. This is a
band who clearly knows that the best dance pop is constructed around solid
grooves and it will be difficult for any listener, even those not fond of this
genre, to not find themselves physically inspired by this song. There isn’t one
wasted note in the entire track. Instead, the song comes out swinging and
romping and Frank Benbini, the band’s namesake, commands attention with his
stylish and musically attuned vocals.
It is far more than just some vacant
dance pop number about having a good time. This song has a definite message
that the lyrics clearly express and will strike some listeners as more akin to
singer/songwriter oriented material. The music might have persistent intensity
from beginning to end, but the lyric has an uniquely optimistic turn despite
the fact that the singer clearly regards himself as someone facing obstacles in
life. The opening line refers to the world as a madhouse, but the remainder of
the song poses all sorts of ways how the listener and singer alike might escape
that pressure. The great themes of transcendence and redemption have always
been a big part of what makes some of the best pop music work and, in the hands
of these superior musicians and songwriters, “Fountains” is sure to become one
of the more memorable entries in recent memory touching on those concerns.
Benbini’s time as part of the band Fun
Lovin’ Criminals means he is an experienced singer with tremendous technique
and personality that adds a lot to the band’s material. He never pushes the
envelope too hard and, instead, relies on a tasteful approach that still swings
every bit as much as the massive rhythm section grooving behind him. The song
runs just over two and half minutes long but it plays like a complete
experience and Benbini takes control of the allotted sonic space in a way few
performers working in this mode are capable of. His collaborators, including
producer/guitarist Naim Cortazzi, bassist Luke Bryan, drummer Junior Benbini,
and keyboardist Jay Lynz are a huge part of why this song so completely
succeeds, but its chances of reaching the desired audience ultimately rests on
Frank’s broad shoulders. He’s quite up to the task. “Fountains” is an
extraordinarily, multi-faceted offering from a band capable of endless
invention and they will likely continue on this upwards trajectory for some
time to come. Get ready world because, for fans of this type of pop, 2017 will
get off to quite a memorable start thanks to Uncle Frank and his cohorts.
Lance Wright
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