Album Review
Frank Lenz is best known as the drummer for Fold Zandura, the Lassie Foundation, and countless studio projects that call for a true professional. In concert he stands out as an aggressive player who embellishes the beat instead of merely keeping it. He was less known as a vocalist or solo artist, which made the arrival of this release a surprise. Rather than laying down his usual barrage of block-rocking beats, he offers something subdued, soulful, and rhythmic.
The main reference points are 1970s soul and jazz, but this is no cheesy tribute to bell-bottoms and platform shoes. Lenz borrows the elements he loves from that era and folds them into a style of his own. The result is quiet but still a little edgy.
Lenz does little to make himself conspicuous as a vocalist, preferring to melt into the mix. At times he sings in a lower register; elsewhere he reaches for a Bee Gees-style falsetto, notably on “Crime on My Mind” and “Hot Stuff.” “Electric Light Battleship” and the overtly spiritual “Take the Wheel” also feature vocals credited to Bridget Bride. The voice sounds remarkably like Crystal Lewis, although the credit leaves that an open question.
The musical mix includes Hammond organ, Hohner Clavinet, slick electric guitar, and rolling bass. On “Crime on My Mind,” a subtle horn arrangement fits right in. These are the sounds you might expect from a pre-disco soul session. “Electric Light Battleship” makes especially good use of a Curtis Mayfield-like bass line and soundtrack-style electric guitar. Yet this CD isn't only a music-history lesson. “Line Dancer” has a soft groove worthy of Sade, while “Take the Wheel” shares ground with modern retro-minded acts such as Massive Attack and Portishead.
Many of these tracks are closer to mood pieces than conventional songs. “Tricycle,” with its plunking, childlike organ rhythm, sounds as though it is celebrating a youngster's birthday. “Take the Wheel” is clearly a call for divine help.
Whatever you make of Lenz's heated side trip into 1970s soul, you won't think of him as just another drummer again.
