No – that isn’t a typo in the title……use of the 1 is how the title is spelled. The person behind Frant1c is Anne-Claire Rallo from the excellent progressive band Nine Skies with it being her new solo project alongside Nine Skies.
Anne-Claire also keeps herself busy running Bad Dog Promotions and I thank her again for regularly sending me various Bad Dog releases for review – including Frant1c.
So what’s it all about you may be wondering. A Brand New World is a most excellent fresh progressive rock album – and a concept to boot..!
Unravelling over the course of the album is the story of two characters – Charlie and Hope – who have spent their lives together until one day Charlie awakes alone in a different and devastated world.
He sets off to find Hope whilst reflecting on feelings and questions which are as universal as they are personal to each of us.
Sublimely written and composed bring in many styles as the music ebbs and flows this way and that always holding the attention. The two vocalists play their parts with conviction also. Quite hauntingly emotional at times.
The spoken word and gentle atmospherics of Prologue (the awakening) set the scene then the swirls of Come Back to Earth will make you nostalgic for a spot of classic Pink Floyd. As will to some extent People in Their Cages albeit with a harder edge and the interspaced busts of radio and speech are worked in very well. Similar to vintage Pendragon I thought.
Where Have You Been broods away nicely with piano, the gentle guitar interplay with washes of keyboards and a marvellous saxophone solo.
The Ballad of Peggy Pratt comes in at around thirteen minutes and is as good a prog-epic as you’ll hear anywhere. It develops and unwinds from the piano in to dramatic riffing as the guitar comes in with the atmospherics, vocal and lots more all leading up to a spectacular extended guitar solo full of feeling and tone.
Sweet Confusion is quite emotional then On the Run brings back the spiky guitar chords and strong melodies. Have a listen:
Take a Little Time and A New Path play out the concept leading up to the closing bookend of Epilogue which is in the style of the opening Prologue.
Anne-Clare has put together a clever and well thought out album for her solo offering and I recommend it thoroughly if you’re looking for some tasty prog with some nuances.
Various formats available from the Frant1c BandCamp page here:
https://frant1c.bandcamp.com/album/a-brand-new-world
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