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Aaron Frazer – Over You

Aaron Frazer – Over You

Great music has a timeless quality that cannot be defined to a single decade, and yet many would not have a problem singling out the Sixties and Seventies as an unparalleled period in soul music. Performers like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Curtis Mayfield testified to the glory of songs that stood out because their sinewy yet sophisticated arrangements made their melodies so memorable.

Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys has long championed the sounds of the Seventies, so it’s no surprise that he saw fit to produce the debut album by Aaron Frazer, a multi-instrumentalist who established his retro reputation as the co-lead singer for Durand Jones & The Indications. His ability on the drums is only surpassed by his fabulous falsetto, which is given an extra shot of adrenalin on Over You, a propulsive smack of gospel soul flavored with dancefloor-ready drum and bass.

There is something reassuring about the glorious old-school groove set forward by Frazer, who clearly has been influenced by the musical game-changers of the past but still seeks to make himself heard in a contemporary setting that can be unforgivably trendy in its desire for new faces.

Aaron Frazer, with a little help from Auerbach and a long list of heavy session players at Easy Eye Sound, has created a record that brings back memories of fantastic 45s and solid-state transistor radios.

Travis – The Only Thing

Travis – The Only Thing

Travis is one of those consistently good bands that is largely underappreciated in North America, where its mellifluous melodies have failed to connect with listeners as they have with their British faithful.

The Only Thing is pure Travis with the delightful addition of American Susanna Hoffs, the Bangles co-founder who shares his smoky, sultry voice to a lovely, lilting tune that is gorgeously orchestrated. It’s a serious attempt to reach American audiences while the song’s video tempers any soberness with the band’s wry response to the la-la-la harmonizing between Hoff and singer Fran Healy midway through the song.

You could pick any Travis album from the past 20+ years and be delighted by the superb songwriting of this band from Glasgow, Scotland. Healy and compatriots have dutifully delivered the goods while performing in the shadow of the relatively more successful Coldplay. Most Travis songs don’t have the same anthemic quality as those of their Brit counterparts, but they are no less worthy of one’s attention.

10 Songs, the ninth studio album from Travis, was released in October 2020 under the pandemic veil of the coronavirus, virtually assuring that the group will stay under the radar for the foreseeable future. The Only Thing shows Travis remains undeterred.