10.05.2010

CD REVIEW: Donavon Frankenreiter "Glow"

GlowDonavon Frankenreiter is known for his quirkiness, his mellow music, and his surfing. On this, his newest collection of original tunes, he shows off the mellow side of himself once again, as seen on his debut self titled album as well as its Hawaiian reincarnation released earlier this year. Frankenreiter buckles down and simplifies all of his tunes so that his lyrics and the messages he sings about are the highlight of the album, with the acoustic guitar taking a more prominent role and the electric taking a back seat. The title track is the first single and it's already blowing up the airwaves. It's possibly the most well received of his singles since he released "Free." Two songs which surfaced as acoustic demos after the release of his last album ("Home," "Hold On") get the full musical treatment this time and are two of the album's standout tracks. His quirkiness has it's place on this album as well and it comes in the form of "Dance Like Nobody's Watching," which sounds like such a cheesy title, but is actually an incredible love song that is reminiscent of Jack Johnson's "Better Together." Continuing with his unconventional ways, the album's cover actually glows in the dark. Donavon Frankenreiter is a unique soul, and his music is right there each step of the way, and his latest has him placing his feet (almost) firmly on the ground and connecting with his listeners on a very personal and accessible level.