Fritch – How’s The View There? (Album – Other Voices Records)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Rock, Chanson.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: “How’s The View There?” is the debut-album –which rather looks more like a mini-album, by Fritch. The band consists of Will Wilkinson, Stephen Tee, Anna Cotten, B.H Mistry, Achille Dunoyer de Segonzac and Phil Booth. Their names don’t make ring a bell and unfortunately there’s less info available about the background of the band; ‘what began on a laptop in the U.S. and Vietnam found a home in the U.K. and collaborative works’.
Content: The work takes off with a song mixing elements of Dark-Rock and Chanson. The low timbre of voice, and also the song, will appeal for fans of Nick Cave. The album is diversified, but the influences remain. Some passages are more into minimalism, others have been mixed with Eastern-like reverie (cf. “Imperfect Love”) while the title song is accomplished with epic arrangements. The last song makes me think of a piano ballad and has something Bowie-like.
+ + + : Fritch is a cool discovery and an interesting newcomer. The global atmosphere hanging over this work has something ominous, but the songs reveal something fragile. This album makes me think of music for film-noir. It’s emotional, which is mainly due to the use of real instruments. The opening song “Heat On A Leash” sounds brilliant, but I also recommend listening to “Imperfect Love”.
– – – : Fritch is hard to catch and hard to label; the album needs a few listening, but in the end you’ll have to recognize it’s a great piece of music.
Conclusion: Fritch appears to be the perfect match between Dark-Rock and Chanson; an emotional and dreamy voyage.
Best songs: “Heat On A Leash”, “Imperfect Love”, “Fracture so Easy”.
Rate: (8).
Label: www.othervoicesrecords.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Other-Voices-Records/196767663702999
About Fritch
Fritch is a UK-based group whose lineup, per the credits published on the band’s Bandcamp page, comprises Will Wilkinson, Stephen Tee, Anna Cotten, B.H. Mistry, Achille Dunoyer de Segonzac and Phil Booth, with all words written by Wilkinson.
“How’s The View There?” is the band’s debut release, issued via Other Voices Records and listed on Bandcamp with a release date of 26 May 2021. No Discogs profile matching this act, and no prior Side-Line coverage of Fritch, has been found.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
