Los Angeles – Fryars is the one man-project of 24-year-old London-based singer/songwriter, Ben Garrett. His long-awaited sophomore album, Power, is a genre-bending euphoria of a record. His previous effort, Dark Young Hearts, came out five years ago and the days of being a timid, inexperienced teenager are long behind him.
During the lapse between albums, he’s worked with such artists as Lily Allen, Pharrell, Mika, Rae Morris and others. With Power, Garrett enlisted Rodaidh McDonald (The xx, King Krule, How to Dress Well, Adele, Savages) and Jimmy Douglass (Blood Brothers, Pharrell, Justin Timberlake) as his sound mixers. The result is one huge, sweeping, pop opus. A mixture of piano, mid-tempo beats, orchestral arrangements, and synthesizers, the record spans across many different avenues of pop ambiance. It’s difficult to pinpoint what genre Fryars falls under. However, the 16-track record should be able to speak for itself. It’s the soundtrack to a movie never made or perhaps the one listeners can create in their own wild imaginations. Despite the tumultuous road it has been for Garrett (due to a myriad of problems with record labels), at last it’s here, quickly becoming a contender for best pop record of 2014.
After the 27-second intro track, Fryars kicks off things with the piano-driven ballad, “On Your Own.” Garrett’s soulful vocals elicit chills. “On Your Own” has descending chords that repeatedly reverberate through the indelible tune. Quickly, Garrett speeds things up with, “In My Arms.” He shows how he can reach very high notes all within the navigation of an R&B-infused jam. With an electro-pop landscape behind him, Garrett’s uplifting vocals allow the song to go beyond the limits of a conventional electronics centered tune. “Love So Cold” hits James Blake territory with auto-tune vocals, deep textures, and the low to mid tempo. “China Voyage” is a trippy rendition. It recalls a different era, perhaps the 1970s but also includes Chinese dialogue scattered throughout. It’s an odd track yet there’s something charming about it. “Sequoia” is soaked in reverb. A love letter to California, Garrett sings “Sequoia” with strong conviction and powerful emotions. He’s a wizard of integrating genres that seemingly make his material feel undeniably fresh and outrageously inventive.
“Can’t Stop Loving You” is a tender, sensitive thing of beauty. Fryars has a keen ability to compose love songs without the tendencies of coming off maudlin or even pretentious. He’s behind the piano again for this one where he seems to do his finest work. The song closes out with beautiful guitar work and a peaceful orchestral piece. “Thing Of Beauty” couldn’t be more appropriately titled. A moving piece of music that is uplifting as well as affecting both lyrically and musically. Closing tune, “Cool Like Me” brings back the hypotonic beats. Reminiscent of the EDM scene, it somehow steers within those territories without being consumed by all it stands for. While it breathes in the same realm, “Cool Like Me” appears to have it’s own identity unlike many songs found in that soundscape that become all reminiscent of one another.
From the heavy usage of the piano and orchestra instruments one minute to drum machines and electronic beats the next, Fryars takes over the pop landscape in seemingly every possible aspect. Power is indeed a powerful record that boosts both emotional and creative inclinations for the listener. The finished record is incredible on so many levels with astonishing depth and an expressive resonance that embodies the entire compilation. Ben Garrett exceeds further beyond what the standard pop record sounds like in 2014. The just under fifty-minute album places you in a world unlike anything before. In the realm of Power, there are no rules. That’s why it easily separates itself from the others following those rules handed down to them. Power breaks through this world in ways you can only conceive by listening from beginning to end. Chances are, you’ll have this one on repeat for a very long time.
Check out Fryars’ Facebook for information on his U.K. tour and latest music videos.
Sean Kayden
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