Get to Know: The Frail
Electronic music with a human heart.
Daniel Lannon and Kevin Durr first started off by emailing their thoughts about music and their dreams of pursuing their careers in it. As similarities in taste and style evolved, the two realized they could put their ideas together and pursue their dreams of being in music together. The influences are pretty apparent once you listen. It’s everything from the sensual style of The Faint, the eclecticism of Thom Yorke and even the electro-rock of the Postal Service. With the duo’s success in San Francisco came the addition of more members to make the Frail a more rounded experience live, and has since played with the likes of Hot Chip, Justice and TV on the Radio.
The Frail’s first EP Count On This, released in May of 2007, showcases the band’s diversity in songwriting. From the down and dirty “Addicted” to the hopeful and dreamy “Floated Away,” the EP latches onto your mind in a mere four tracks. Each song is a short burst of energy and, like everything good, is over too soon. The Frail’s style on Count on This is accessible electronic, but it still feels fresh and escapes the monotony of most copycats. Singer Lannon’s voice may be the reason behind that. Lannon’s voice is his alone, and for the most part, is devoid of vocal manipulation. He instead layers his vocals to create the dreamy sound we connect with electronic music. It’s the human element within a non-human genre, which makes the Frail’s music that much easier to connect with. Count On This is everything a first EP should be, a springboard to a fuller product. Their latest release The Firefly EP came out November 29th 2008 and is their continuation from Count On This. The new EP includes remixes from the Toxic Avenger and After Midnight, as well as three new tracks.
“Floated Away” off of Count On This is the ideal song to listen to when the day isn’t going your way, whether it be because of shitty weather or shitty people. It’s uplifting but not to the point where it’s sunshine and lollipops being shoved up your ass. It’s the languid desire to escape your situation and forget your trouble by erasing your mind. Lannon and Durr’s “Floated Away” isn’t the brightness of pop groups but it’s not the static feeling that electronic music can sometimes leave. “Floated Away” is human emotion mating with technology to make one infectious child.
Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Jan 29, 2009 @ 7:00 am
