Archive for the tag "love is real"

"Love is real/ Real is love/ Love is asking/ To be loved."  No, this is not a cover of John Lennon’s 1971 (Johnson & Johnson lotion ad) classic.  And it’s a good thing, because while Frost would do an excellent cover of that Plastic Ono Band gem, her song is much more refreshing.

Make no mistake, Edith Frost prefers the high road of honesty when expressing her sentiments, at least in song.  Witness the chills running up your spine as she calls to her lover, "Is there anything left to talk about?  My love is real," in a honey-sweet voice that’s as soft as a down pillow yet powerful enough to evoke the appropriate imagery.  "Love Is Real" is a sultry lure of hipswaying rhythm.  Her straightforward lyrics are backed by light drumming, organ and acoustic guitars.  The woozy, lilting waltz of "Between Us" and the humorous lyrics to the countrified acoustic stomp of "The Last One," where it’s just Frost, her husky voice and guitar,* complete this enjoyable trifecta of music from Drag City’s fairest maiden.

A quick teaser from the softest and most lovely queen of indie folk, Ms. Edith Frost.  A few seasons after her last effort, the full-length Telescopic album (which veered into the plugged-in slightly dreamy rock side of things), Edith comes back home with some more solitary and heart-bending yet somewhat up-beat stargazing ballads about confessions of love and relationships in the way only Edith can.  She then ropes you in on the third track with a solo twangy hoe-down whisky jug of a song, "The Last One."  Overall, this quick three-song EP is a treat for fans of Frost, and a purty introduction for those not yet lucky enough to be acquainted.  Fear not; hers is not nose-pierced, purple cornrow, jack booted, Ani DiFranco pissed off indie folk, but rather sweet strummings and outstanding vocals from a wonderfully talented yet simple musician.

Say no to the Cathy ("Ack!") feminism of the Lilith Fair and yes to the no-bullshit, serene self-confidence of Edith Frost.  This ghost-voiced lady makes the best pretty pop songs, countryish but with a definite Cocteau Twins appreciation.  Melancholy, catchy, understated and not coming to a Revlon commercial near you.

As long as people fall in love and feel insecure about it, there will be a need for songs like "Love Is Real."  Frost rides a gliding, instantly memorable melody borne by a swinging mid-tempo rhythm to lay it on the line to a potential lover.  "Between Us," which is underpinned by a lonely harmonica, carries its torch more quietly.  Deny her and it’s your loss, chump.  "The Last One," a brief C&W tune accompanied only by Frost’s acoustic guitar,*  is about guys like you.  These songs are produced with more clarity and less of a woozy, psychedelic aura than the material on her last album, Telescopic, and are better for it.

As interesting as the acidic production by Royal Trux was on Edith Frost’s Telescopic last year, hindsight reveals that simple suits her better.  Frost’s new single Love Is Real (Drag City) was produced by Rian Murphy — who did such a good job on her debut, Calling Over Time — and features some lovely acoustic melancholia laid down by Archer Prewitt, Rick Rizzo, Ryan Hembrey, and Mark Greenberg.

This three-song disc is a captivating display of the talents of Ms. Frost.  The ambling, full-bodied "Love Is Real" is an enthused proclamation of love, in which Frost unleashes her strongest voice over a backdrop of guitars and drums, punctuated by chirping keyboards.  Meanwhile, the remaining tracks, "Between Us" and "The Last One," are a return to the loping, country-folk-rock rant for which Frost is known.