Frente! - Marvin the Album

Marvin the Album is one of those recordings that cannot be fully absorbed on the first or second listen. But after several listens, one starts to realize just how strong this abstract pop-folk-rock release is. With a quirky and waifish vocal style along the lines of Suzanne Vega, lead singer Angie Hart can take a bit of getting used to. Her singing is definitely an acquired taste, but it's a taste well worth it. The more one listens to Frente!'s strange acoustic cover of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle," as well as subtle originals like "Explode," "Pretty Friend," and "Lonely," the more one realizes how expressive and appealing she is. Guitarist Simon Austin, meanwhile, handles most of the vocals on "See/Believe," which sounds like a bizarre cross between jazz and Bob Dylan. Frente! isn't a band that stresses the obvious, and the Australians use subtlety and understatement to great advantage on this striking date. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alastair Barden Drums Angie Hart Producer, Bottle, Instructor, Vocals, Artwork, Art Direction, Illustrations Cate Gem Strings Cate Geth Strings Daniel Denholm Producer, Engineer Frente! Producer, Engineer Lou Beach Art Direction, Artwork, Layout Design Mark Fitzgibbon Piano Mark Picton Recorder, Drums, Engineer, Percussion Michael Koppelman Producer, Mixing, Engineer Peter Knight Trumpet Phil Jones Producer Phil Kakualas Double Bass Phil Kakuwas Double Bass Polly Borland Photography Russell "Jimmy" McGregor Strings Scott Griffiths String Arrangements Simon Austin Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Bottle, Programming, ? Simon Obarzanek Photography