REVIEW: Frankie & The Pool Boys - Spin The Bottle
By Adrian Cavlan

It was a great day when this one arrived in the mail, and having a little inside info on what went into the prep for this recording and who they were having produce it (Dusty Watson) made me very anxious to hear what Ferenc and his crew had cooked up this time. Let me just say that I was not disappointed!

I am happy to report that these folks are doing the San Francisco Bay Area proud in representing the current surf scene. Overall this is a fantastic production, featuring excellent tones and sound, as well as imaginative orchestration. Also notable is this production’s (and Ferenc’s guitar in particular) fearless yet tasteful use of effects throughout. Really, these are lush soundscapes considering that they're staying within the boundaries of songs and generally in the surf realm (i.e. not veering into psychedelia, for example). I also would specially compliment the work of the rhythm section: Abraham Aguilar on bass and Jonathan Rodriguez on drums are really drum-tight throughout, playing propulsively and tastefully to give this production a solid sound.

The CD package of this album is also fully rendered, with some nice liner notes and the typically excellent cover art we have come to expect from Fred Lammers in this wallet-style package.

And, last but not least, the most innovative touch of all: second versions of four of the songs that are vocal versions! Who does that?! I can't say that those are my favorite songs on the record, but you have to hand it to them for thinking of doing it. It is cool and unique.

So, let me give you a few brushstrokes on a number of the songs on it:

Right out of the gate, I love the The Who-like intro to Seafoam Angels! Great opening track that tells you right away this is not going to be a trad-only outing.

That said, Smoke Jumper features a melody that hearkens back to more traditional surf with a little bit of that organ in there.

One time Ferenc and I were talking and he said to me “You know what? Sometimes people just wanna dance!” I’ll venture that he had this title track in mind when he said that! Bouncy guitar stabs and a great organ melody from Karen propel Spin The Bottle forward and get the hips moving. And what's that - hand claps? Yep this one will definitely get you moving!

I love the Bo Diddley beat on Magic River as well as the fact that at this point in the record, Karen is taking about half of the melody lines in these songs on her keyboard. What a dynamic duo these two are! Throughout the entirety of this record, I am really appreciating the melodic handoffs between the guitar and the organ. Great stuff.

And here’s The Wet Season with the fearless use of the wah-wah pedal! In surf music? Yes! Here’s the evidence! This is another one of their songs that I remember well from their live sets in Italy, and this track features some of France's most ripping guitar work on this CD. And, in the all too overlooked aspect of artful sequencing of songs on a CD, I love how the ending of it segues into the country-esque acoustic guitar at the beginning of Summer Cold.

I absolutely love this track. For me, it evokes a little bit of the Shadows, and Jono Jones’ excellent acoustic guitar work here is what sets it apart.

Feedback? Pick scrapes? Yep both here in Fast Loud Hard. Again this record has no fear in going everywhere this genre can touch.

For me, the slow, slinky Hang Em High recalls and builds upon the melody we heard a few songs ago on The Wet Season. I dig it, and funny enough, I can't help but hear a snippet of the Gilligan's Island theme in this melody! “The Millionaire… and his wife…”. It’s fun! And tell me... What the hell is wrong with Gilligan's Island? Absolutely nothing! That's what.

And how about some string bending? Again - stuff you just don't hear on the “average” surf record.

And now Tan Line fever, the single off of this CD so far. Relatively conventional on the surface, but very well done. And the video for it is an absolute hoot - once again Ferenc cooking up something totally original by setting this song to a fun Photoshop demo. It's excellent. Look it up on YouTube.

San Quixote has a good, aggressive guitar tone that could be construed as somewhat menacing except for the major key of the composition keeping it from seeming too harsh or serious.

And, lastly, we welcome the return of the acoustic guitar on Raise Hell, evoking California Health And Happiness-era Mermen a little bit in the orchestration, composition and drum parts on this one.

Let me conclude by saying that as an artist myself, I stand in awe of the amount of work it takes to make a record this ambitious. It stands proudly as a next chapter in Ferenc Dobronyi’s paean to the surf music he loves. Here’s hoping that Frankie & The Pool Boys continue to evolve, surprise and dare their way forward in the years to come.

><)))°> .oO Fascinating Creatures of the Deep Oo. ><)))°>