A Fine Frenzy: One Cell in the Sea

I’m always on the lookout for new music to check out. Our slogan here at TheFrontloader.com is, after all, “So much music… so little time…”

That is so true.

It is impossible for me to hear EVERYTHING that has been released. If I were to even try to attempt that, I would need to have my iPod surgically implanted and have an endless stream of music flowing in from somewhere. Music would be playing in my ear, 24 hours a day… but even if I were to do THAT, I still wouldn’t get to everything.

Which, by the way, is why I am NOT going to do any “Best of 2008” lists here. How can I possibly say that anything is the “Best of 2008” if I haven’t been able to hear everything that has been released in 2008? From the major labels to the indie labels to the DIY labels… there’s no way.

Nah, I’ll leave that to Sherman.

Anyhow, my point is that in order to find new music, I usually turn to my friends and colleagues. Word of mouth advertising is still the most effective because it comes from someone you trust, not someone who is TRYING to sell you.

This week’s “Spin of the Week” came to me through a friend’s recommendation. I took a listen, dug it, bought it, spun it, dug it some more, and now I’m writing about it.

See how that works?

A Fine Frenzy is the stage name for Alison Sudol. In 2007 she released her debut album, One Cell in the Sea, and has been finding success ever since. Her material has already appeared in a number of television shows and movies, which undoubtedly helped propel her album sales.

Sudol apparently enjoys Shakespeare, as she took on the name “A Fine Frenzy” from his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “The poet’s eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven.”

Incidentally, although it’s pretty cool to have a stage name like “A Fine Frenzy,” I’ve always wondered how artists like this introduce themselves to others:

Anyhow, after teaching herself piano, Sudol sent a demo to Capitol Records and was able to secure a record deal. One Cell in the Sea was released after her appearance at SXSW. See, kids? It’s THAT easy. (Okeeeeee!!!!)

There are some gorgeous moments on One Cell in the Sea. Sudol’s voice is soft yet penetrating, as is the music she composes. You get the feeling she’s almost at a whisper most of the time, which is a very cool characteristic to her style. She drifts in and out of her falsetto voice so smoothly that after a while, you barely notice that she’s doing it. A good example of this is “Whisper.” Take a listen to just the first half of the tune and you’ll hear not only the whisper-like quality but also the lovely falsetto she’s got. Don’t get me wrong, though… she’s got a set of pipes. In the Dig-It section below, I’ve posted a live performance of Sudol and Brandi Carlile covering Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” Very cool listen.

Sudol either wrote or co-wrote all the tracks on the album, which is always great to see. Her lyrics can be considered to be “deep” and “philosophical,” which is indicative of her love of literature. She brings with her a great sense of imagery, and it’s a wonderful match to the supporting music.

Although there are plenty of guitar-laden tracks, One Cell in the Sea is piano/keyboard driven, as that is Sudol’s instrument of choice. I’ve always dug girls and pianos, so when you put them together, I’m an even happier boy. Most of the record is mid to slow tempo, but is arranged well enough that you don’t notice the pace. And as I said in the last paragraph, the music supports the lyric in that it creates this almost fantasy-like sonic realm.

Now, I’m not saying that her lyrics are “fantasy-like,” but check this out from the song “Rangers,”

Now, some of you may be wondering, “Huh?” and by all means, that was my first thought as well… but upon further analyzing the lyric, I can honestly say, “Wha…?” She can never be guilty of NOT using vivid language, that’s for sure! I take that back… after FURTHER analyzing the lyrics, I can honestly say, “Gah?”

But that’s a Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast because it makes her music that much more interesting. It’s those moments of “Ohhhh! I get it!” that are so rewarding to experience when you invest your time into an artist.

And A Fine Frenzy is well worth the investment. I’ve been spinning One Cell in the Sea for the better part of the past week and am still trying to decide what my favorite track is. So far it’s a toss-up between about half of the album, which is a good thing. I’ve posted a couple of contenders below, along with the live bootleg.

Take a listen, buy the record, see a show, spread the word. Maybe not in that exact order, but it’s probably a wise thing to take a listen first. Then you can go from there. Yeah. Do that.

Buy A Fine Frenzy on Amazon
Buy A Fine Frenzy on iTunes

Your Dig-It Downloads:

Download: Come On, Come Out
Download: Hope For The Hopeless
Download: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Brandi Carlile & A Fine Frenzy live)

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