1000 Variations on the Same Song
by Frog
Review
It's time to enter the wonderfully weird world of Frog. The awkward, offcenter, oddly comforting world of Frog. Frog sort of reminds me of something that you would hear when you're moving out of your parents house when you turn 18. Assuming you actually like your parents. It's the feeling that things are going to be weird for a bit, and there's a lot of good to come, but it comes with losing a little of what security you had. But you know in the end it'll be ok, you'll listen to Frog and realise that, hey, things are pretty good actually, yeah maybe you don't get homecooked meals as much anymore, but you don't have to think about anyone else wanting the leftovers, because they're all yours. This metaphor got a bit out of hand maybe, but I think the comforting aspects still hold up. Because this album is really just indie comforts thrown together in a way that just makes your ears smile. There's a lot of ideas here, and sure maybe not all of them land, but that's oddly part of the charm. The guitar and piano are simple, the drums don't blow your headphones out, it all just flows. The vocals rest in this odd place between quirky and calm where I think only Frog sits. They're all their own. The album isn't perfect, but it's sentimental out of the box, and keeps you in the world of Frog.
I won't deny, it may not be for everyone, but honestly no great band is. They stand alone in their creativity because the style they've built really can't be replicated, and I think many are too scared to try. A lot of their uniqueness comes from the delivery of their singer Daniel Bateman, which is truly like no other. They have elements about them that give them a certainly level of quirk, where they can't be called tried and true singer-songwriters but they're definitely mores respectable than parody artists. They exist in the same space that "They Might Be Giants" does, there's these quirky guys with quirky songs, but also they're deserving of respect because these songs are actually great. Although I will say, they have a bit more respect for themselves than "They Might Be Giants", and they have the right to do so, because they're definitely still indie artists at heart. Indie acts that can definitely write some more serious stuff if they want to as well, like the modern Woody Guthrie-esque "ARTHUR MCBRIDE ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE VAR. X", or the many John Cale-sounding moments across the record (the hook on "STILLWELL THEME" is so reminiscent of "Paris 1919" it's uncanny). All in all the album has many moments ranging from wonderfully cheery to unexpectedly somber, all of which are welcome. E
