Liam Frost & The Slowdown Family - Show Me How The Spectres Dance Album Review

Liam Frost & The Slowdown Family
Show Me How The Spectres Dance
Album Review

22 year old Mancunian troubadour Liam Frost is undoubtedly a special talent, and has crafted an album that is to Manchester what 'I'm Wide Awake It's Morning' is to New York.

That said, it would be a bit glib to call Frost Britain's answer to Bright Eyes, his vocals are far more reminiscent of Badly Drawn Boy, but the elements of emo and folk are both here, so the two are comparable.

'The City Is At Standstill' is a stirring opener, a rolling, panoramic epic that bears more than a passing resemblance to 'Tonight, Tonight' by The Smashing Pumpkins, and sounds like it has every instrument known to man crammed onto it. As good as it is, it not representative of the rest of the record.

Most tracks are deftly crafted, acoustic folk, with brushed drums and
mandolin flourishes, and for the most part are excellent. 'If Tonight We Could Only Sleep' is like 'The City Is At Standstill's' older sister, wiser and more mellow, but with the same genetic make-up running through it.

Elsewhere, "This Is Love" and "Is This Love?" make for a similar pairing, except the former is a dreamy romantic, and the other a more cynical realist. "Run away with me now/ My head's dizzy with stars", sings Frost on "This Is Love." Whereas "Is This Love?" sees him more grounded, "Settle down and pack this box away." This technique might be a bit studied for some tastes, but it is genuinely quite refreshing.

Other highlights include "The Mourners of St Paul's" and "Paperboats" which walk the line that Conor Oberst does so well, the line between vivid storytelling and evoking a real emotional response from the listener. The only let down is the rather pedestrian "Shall We Dance", which veers too
close to Keane and Athlete daytime radio territory for comfort.

Show Me how The Spectres Dance is a great debut from a songwriter wise beyond his years. Highly recommended.

Ben Davis