postrockglazer

‘Ascension’ sounds, and feels, like a growing up record, a testament to the ambition and recklessness of Kinsley’s younger self now tempered with thoughtful reflection. Whilst grounded in the clear-eyed earnestness of pop tradition, ‘Ascension’ plays confidently in a spirit of bold creative experimentation.

Frog seems to have gathered a new sense of inventiveness and energy, coming up with that not easily definable sound between everything that was and is cool about New Zealand’s Flying Nun Records and left-field Americana, picking up pieces from everywhere and arranging them in a manner that suited Bateman brothers’ fancy.

It not only boasts a familiarity factor but the advantage of an official release that ought to make it truly mandatory as far as more rabid Young fans are concerned. Indeed, there are several early stabs at certain songs that only true Neil nerds will be able to differentiate from those versions released later on.

The UK-based Washington DC native writes a love letter to soul records of old, all fronted by a hair-raising, truly special voice.