REVIEW: The Frank and Walters, Beauty Becomes More Than Life
(Setanta)
- Patrick Carmosino
Earnestness is a virtue with The Frank And Walters. Thrown into an alternative rock world filled with faux grunge, faux rap and faux angst hep, earnestness has given an ironic hipness to the Irish trio's boring, straight ahead rock. But for their third effort, there is no jazzing up the fact that their earnestness is truly, purely boring, with The F & W's going over their own familiar territory with no good residual effect. It's too bad as well, because earnestness needs to be applauded and rewarded these days. But if the result is music like this, there is no hope.
Beauty Becomes More Than Life comes off more like a bar band's demo tape. Perhaps putting 3 guys from Cork in Brooklyn for 2 years and working with Black 47's producer is bound to produce such results. Consistent with the general flaws, vocalist Paul Linehan is coming off way too pleading and whining too often when a couple of the album's tastier riffs demand a cool croon. And someone needs to give the guitar player, Niall Linehan, an effects box - anything but the dry dry guitar sounds that nail the album's way too dry atmosphere. I don't really enjoy tearing this album apart, mind you; the F &W's seem to be likable blokes and all. However Beauty Becomes More Than Life all too quickly becomes little more than tedium.
Someone needs to give The Frank And Walters a Foo Fighters album to demonstrate how ernestness is done nowadays.
