New Noise
Interesting article uncovered whilst browsing around and about. Its unclear whether they end up liking Liam or not by the end... Also contains definitive list of Slowdown Family members (something that has been a mystery to me for some time).
Liam Frost By Alex Powles
Liam Frost arrives in the capital on the back of several years gigging around the forefront of Manchester’s music scene; since the age of 15 he’s been playing anywhere that’d let him play. Now at the ripe old age of 22, his name has become synonymous with gigs, playing the likes of Night and Day, The Star & Garter and the Bierkeller including cult nights such as Akoustic Anarky and Friends Of Mine
On the way, he's gained a solid, devoted fanbase and showa the sort of promise that has led other now-established male singer/songwriters to become stalwarts in the album charts, from the likes of David Gray to Badly Drawn Boy.
Garnering such praise as “the most talented young songwriter Manchester has produced for years" (Guy Garvey of Elbow), "the deepest breath of fresh air mixed with burning melancholy, Liam Frost is an unbelievable gem of new talent” (Music Week) and appearing in The Independent’s Recommended section, you could think that he’s already arrived on a wave of hype.
However now signed to Lavolta Records he’s just about to release his first single, ‘She Painted Pictures’, a beautifully upbeat love song using the bread and butter inspiration of reflecting on a break up. This song has the makings of solid chart hit for Frost. You can imagine it receiving the radio backing from the same stations that earlier paved the way for Stephen Fretwell (who he also supported for several shows).
His website offers a selection of four tracks, giving the listener the chance to sample the single before its release and get a feel for what he’s about, but sadly these tracks on their own lack a certain energy and really don’t tell the whole story.
You easily notice the influences ranging from Dylan to Bright Eyes (one track ‘Slow Slowly Slow’ sounding almost identical to BE's ‘First Day Of My Life’) but there’s a softness to them that doesn’t get across the depth of feeling which clearly goes into the lyrics.
With the web has been such a useful springboard for so many bands of the moment, you feel that this could hinder his development and exposure if his talent isn't translating to the masses at this early stage. But fear not; where Frost really comes to life is onstage, playing his tracks live with his band, The Slowdown Family.
The band have drifted together from various different bands around Manchester; the line-up is pretty new with Pete Marshall (mandolin), Sadie Baker (keyboards), Andrew Raven (guitar), Ben Perry (drums) and John Baines (bass) joining Frost. They combine to give a much more powerful accompaniment to Frost's clearly natural skill, giving the audience a dose of the angst that is burnt into his lyrics.
A stand-out track for this is ‘If Tonight We Could Only Sleep’, where Frost and Baker’s vocals give a sinister edge to this waltzing love song. His way with the audience is both wry and self-deprecating, establishing an instant rapport as he initiates the whole room into the Family with ease.
The single ‘She Painted Pictures’ is the obvious highlight from his set of songs but the slow-burning ‘If Tonight We Could Only Sleep’ and ‘The City Is At Standstill’ capture the audience through emotions instead of using the catchy love songs to scale the charts like another James Blunt. Frost certainly has a place in the current folk-rock mix, but let’s just hope he keeps up the live shows to really showcase his geniune talent.
http://www.new-noise.net
Liam Frost By Alex Powles
Liam Frost arrives in the capital on the back of several years gigging around the forefront of Manchester’s music scene; since the age of 15 he’s been playing anywhere that’d let him play. Now at the ripe old age of 22, his name has become synonymous with gigs, playing the likes of Night and Day, The Star & Garter and the Bierkeller including cult nights such as Akoustic Anarky and Friends Of Mine
On the way, he's gained a solid, devoted fanbase and showa the sort of promise that has led other now-established male singer/songwriters to become stalwarts in the album charts, from the likes of David Gray to Badly Drawn Boy.
Garnering such praise as “the most talented young songwriter Manchester has produced for years" (Guy Garvey of Elbow), "the deepest breath of fresh air mixed with burning melancholy, Liam Frost is an unbelievable gem of new talent” (Music Week) and appearing in The Independent’s Recommended section, you could think that he’s already arrived on a wave of hype.
However now signed to Lavolta Records he’s just about to release his first single, ‘She Painted Pictures’, a beautifully upbeat love song using the bread and butter inspiration of reflecting on a break up. This song has the makings of solid chart hit for Frost. You can imagine it receiving the radio backing from the same stations that earlier paved the way for Stephen Fretwell (who he also supported for several shows).
His website offers a selection of four tracks, giving the listener the chance to sample the single before its release and get a feel for what he’s about, but sadly these tracks on their own lack a certain energy and really don’t tell the whole story.
You easily notice the influences ranging from Dylan to Bright Eyes (one track ‘Slow Slowly Slow’ sounding almost identical to BE's ‘First Day Of My Life’) but there’s a softness to them that doesn’t get across the depth of feeling which clearly goes into the lyrics.
With the web has been such a useful springboard for so many bands of the moment, you feel that this could hinder his development and exposure if his talent isn't translating to the masses at this early stage. But fear not; where Frost really comes to life is onstage, playing his tracks live with his band, The Slowdown Family.
The band have drifted together from various different bands around Manchester; the line-up is pretty new with Pete Marshall (mandolin), Sadie Baker (keyboards), Andrew Raven (guitar), Ben Perry (drums) and John Baines (bass) joining Frost. They combine to give a much more powerful accompaniment to Frost's clearly natural skill, giving the audience a dose of the angst that is burnt into his lyrics.
A stand-out track for this is ‘If Tonight We Could Only Sleep’, where Frost and Baker’s vocals give a sinister edge to this waltzing love song. His way with the audience is both wry and self-deprecating, establishing an instant rapport as he initiates the whole room into the Family with ease.
The single ‘She Painted Pictures’ is the obvious highlight from his set of songs but the slow-burning ‘If Tonight We Could Only Sleep’ and ‘The City Is At Standstill’ capture the audience through emotions instead of using the catchy love songs to scale the charts like another James Blunt. Frost certainly has a place in the current folk-rock mix, but let’s just hope he keeps up the live shows to really showcase his geniune talent.
http://www.new-noise.net
posted by Chris at 5:57 PM
1 Comments:
I'm suprised there's no mention of "Is This Love" being one of the potential "breakout" tracks... By far my favourite of all of Mr Frost's songs as yet (though this is not a criticism, just merely the strongest of a strong bunch)
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