No Frills Reviews

A gloriously haphazard collection of indie-Americana

Frog are what can truly be classed as a modern day cult band. Even as someone who likes to think I keep my ear to the indie-ground, they’ve managed to escape my attention until now, despite being over a decade in. Having seemingly developed a bigger following in the UK, than their native US. They’re the type of band that are critically-liked but have never quite been critically-hyped. The type of band that are big enough to have their own Wikipedia entry; but it just kinda tells you about the times they’ve been played on the radio. The type of band whose UK tour documentary can have a scene dedicated to the frontman’s gripes with the Travelodge.

GROG is the fifth album from the New York duo led by Daniel Bateman, and the first where he’s officially joined by younger brother, Steve, who replaces former drummer, Thomas White. The short-ish description is that they produce lo-fi leaning, country-tinged indie pop. But that does them a disservice as this album offers up a treasure trove of stylistic detours.

Various strands of Americana are on display; from a bluegrass stomper, to country ballads, to the ominous hard blues interlude of DOOM SONG. Perhaps most unexpected is the disco-funk of lead single, Black on Black on Black. It pretty much rips off Ian Dury’s Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick; but I’m not gonna fault them because they manage to add a whole new banger on top of it, with an absolutely rapturous chorus.

They also specialise in the sort of hook and harmony-heavy indie-pop that may have seen them breakout in the mid-00’s. But delivered with a rough-and-ready edge that counter-balances the sweetness; like a garage rock band re-creating a Shins song from memory.

Along with the shifting styles, come a rotating cast of characters and swings in mood. The excellent lovesick, lustful ballad, Goes w/o Saying, contrasts with the nostalgic, mischievous ode to skipping school of 420!! Richly detailed tales of domestic drama lead into mythical epics. And Bateman’s vocals can take him from a somber, wisened old-storyteller to an unhinged weirdo. There’s desperation, hope, and everything else in between.

There’s a sense of ramshackle joy which manages to cast the band in the role of charming underdogs and somehow makes sense of all these disparate elements. It’s in their DIY takes on any genre they see fit. It’s in the unrefined, croaky (that’s not a Frog pun) falsetto of Bateman. Or it’s in the way they just blow some raspberries in place of a horn section on Goes w/o Saying. GROG is chaotic; but chaos is its unifying force.

Best tunes: Goes w/o Saying, Black on Black on Black, New Ro

GROG is available to purchase via Bandcamp or here.

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You can watch The Kings of Blah tour documentary to learn more about Frog.

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