Now, with these two names, I was expecting a pretty fantastic, catchy intro. But “U.O.I.” is simply not that, This is a very airy, pensive track that really takes it’s time. Which I don’t really have that much of a problem with on paper. But this one is just so slow and dreary. And yea, there are some very sweet and beautiful moments, and there’s parts that are rather refined and elegant. And that’s all gravy my friends, mostly because Kathryn and Mark have legitimately sweet voices. But this isn’t what I signed up for, this is just faceless Indie Pop. But the very refined moment that we get here do have tons of potential, and I’m curious as to where they lead. Now, with “Long Night” Frontperson seem to nail everything that’s awesome about their sound. Kathryn’s vocals here are absolutely flooring and incredibly sweet. This one has the same very elegant style coming through in a big way. But here, the instrumental is just as sweet and constantly moving. The result is just so much more memorable and interesting. There’s a synthetic beat, which is actually a really great backbone to these very airy and fluffy vocals. But most importantly, Kathryn and Mark have serious chemistry. You see, these much more upbeat and sweet atmospheres like we get on “Tick-Tock (Frontrunner)” are so much easier to eat up. It’s not the most original or new sound to the Indie Pop genre, and you can see all shades of some of the greats in this genre all over the place (like New Pornographers). But between the legitimate chemistry between these two and passionate performances all around, this is really enjoyable. I also really love the back and forth vocals, which really makes you appreciate their harmonies so much more when they do roll in. Simply charming.
Now, “He Follows Me” takes a big step back once again and really brings in a vast atmosphere.
And my friends, it is a HARD left turn in every way. Mark’s vocals here come off more rugged, and lyrically this is just so different from where we’ve heard them so far. And honestly, it just takes way too long to get rolling. I feel like Kathryn’s very sweet vocals add plenty, but it’s so hard to put my finger on this track. There is everything from Folk elements to Chamber Pop. And once again, it’s a very refined and elegant sound. When we get halfway through, some of the instrumentals that float in are totally charming. This track is really hard to place, and I feel like not being so immediate is absolutely a downer. But it has its moments. On the other hand, “Young Love” is an upbeat, cheery ballad from Kathryn that’s just so much more straightforward. Here, her vocals are heart melting, as she totally changes an old school Singer-Songwriter from the 70’s. And the result is immediate, charming and sweet. It’s still on the lighter, more sophisticated side. But it’s also got this genuinely youthful energy to it that’s just so likable. Not to mention, the very dreary, whispery atmosphere is done so well. Frontperson have a really unique sound right now, they just need to be so careful with it. “Shorter Days” however once again is another really hard left turn, as the duo try to get some tension built up. But then it just falls apart super quickly and ends up opening up into this very lukewarm Folk ballad. Let’s be real, I think some of the songwriting here and the imagery is powerful. But this has some of the issues that showed up earlier. Call it what you want, being a little too timid, trying to cram too much in at once, it all works. Like, here we get these very elegant pianos and verses that are trying so hard to build up something to work with. But absolutely nothing comes out of this, and we’re just sort of left with Kathryn’s vocals. Which yea, are great, but not enough.
On the other hand, “This City Is Mine” is something I really wasn’t expecting. And that, my friends, is a shockingly tense, heavy tune with a lot of buildup. Mark and Kathryn’s vocals on both sides of it all, actually end up giving this a very intriguing sound. Obviously, we’re not dealing with truly heavy material. But between these pounding drums and wailing synths, this is strangely chaotic. But some of these lighter tracks like “Postcards From A Posh Man” are just so iffy. I feel like the main issue with this album is that Frontperson has yet to find a medium. There are great things about their sound, but tunes like this also come off incredibly amateurish. Like, yea, things do get a little better when the drums and guitars pop in later on. But there’s almost nothing about this that screams at me to come back for seconds. However, the duo does a great job of shutting my mouth with this incredible finale “Insight”. I absolutely love Kathryn’s haunting vocals that add so much mystery to this track. It’s an interesting tune that doesn’t seem nearly as confused or amateurish. Her vocals are so soothing, and I love just how mystic and genuinely interesting this is. It’s a sound they’ve been reaching for the entire album, but haven’t hit until now. And now that it’s here, it’s charming, and I want to hear so much more of it.
Rating: 7.2/10
Give A Listen To: “Long Night”, “Tick - Tock (Frontrunner)”, “Young Love”, “Insight”
Least Favorite Track: “U.O.I.”
Genre: Indie Pop / Baroque Pop
Overall Thoughts: Kathryn Calder and Mark Andrew Hamilton as Frontperson certainly do have a sound that they can pull off. And when they do, they come off with the sort of very elegant and refined side of Indie Pop that the genre is missing right now. But too much of this album is the do attempt to find that sound. There are some really awkward, slow-paced tunes and some even more awkward Folk tunes. But when Frontperson buckled down and get grooving with some more upbeat tunes, this comes off really classy.
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