VINYL OF THE MONTH
Frog
Kind of Blah
New York, NY
(Audio Antihero Records)
“New York through the ages, blended into a fine liquid…”
If you were asked to distill New York into a single set of sounds, perhaps to accompany a film montage, you might end up with something like the new LP by Frog, Kind of Blah. Miles Davis namechecks asides, Kind of Blah is kinda folky, kinda guitary, kinda lo-fi and all sorts of dreamy.
Lead single “Judy Garland” is a plinky, tinkley Americana-tinged jangler that plugs away against a steady backbeat and the playful vocal interplay between Tom White and Dan Bateman.
The other standout is “Wish Upon A Bar,” featuring more vocal harmonies and a sense of melodic droning that never feels atonal or non-musical. It all propels the track forward, with a bizarre, off-kilter indie pop chorus that would sit right in the pocket of the best ’80s college rock staples.
Kind of Blah is odd, at times, but so damn endearing in its earnestness and darling soundscapes that you can’t help but lift the needle and drop it down on the lead-in groove just one more time…
Mastered for vinyl by Alex DeTurk
Follow on Twitter @heyitsfrog and hear more from Frog on Bandcamp.