Frankel's debut EP channels Smith

By Walton Murphy

Published Feb. 3, 2006

Make no mistake about it, the ideas exhibited on Frankel's debut EP, Chatterbox, are not significantly groundbreaking.

Frankel does not explore any new musical territory that other artists such as Elliott Smith and Iron and Wine haven't already covered.

Frankel, whose real name is Michael Orendy, merely injects his own voice to this indie-folk genre.

The seven tracks on the Chatterbox EP prove his voice to be rather engaging.

The opening track, "Pass Out," embodies the typical singer/songwriter feel, with a hushed vocal presence and simple acoustic guitar work.

Frankel slowly adds keyboards and develops a warm texture to accompany this somewhat basic track.

Frankel's music develops and morphs ideas into fluid, memorable melodies.

On the third track, "The Antidote," Frankel displays his ability to expand on his musical thoughts.

The song opens with an undemanding verse Orendy sings in a hushed voice.

"This is part of the antidote/It starts to loosen up the throat/Opens it wide so you don't choke."

Yet, the chorus opens up the song with its distorted guitar, intertwining keyboards and solid beats.

Frankel incorporates different musical voices and builds up the song beautifully. "Home/Sweet home/Cause when you're far away from me," Frankel sings, marking the sweetest and most earnest moment on the EP.

"Don't Leave" easily is the most accessible song on the album. The serene verse and chorus drift freely, until a dynamic guitar and a solid rhythm push the song in a driving, luminous direction.

Orendy's modest lyrics, "Since you've got a nervous heart/I don't want to be the one to start/Moving things around in the dark," sweetly complement the warm tune.

"The Great Unknown" unfortunately lacks the musical development of other songs.

Although Frankel adds a string section to the mix, the interesting textures that give birth to fabulous melodies throughout other songs are absent, leaving "The Great Unknown" as a bland track.

"All Satellites" tries to round out the EP on a high electric rush of guitar and keyboards, but nevertheless falls flat. But the concise, yet evolved, hidden track found after "All Satellites" overshadows the previous song.

Although it runs roughly more than one minute long, Frankel's song is still capable of streaming together appealing guitar work, catchy vocals and a wonderfully sunny chorus with a '60s-pop-influenced harmony.

The influences on Frankel's Chatterbox EP are evident. The chord-changes and song structures could be compared to an immature take on Elliott Smith's Figure 8. Frankel's hushed vocal work can be found in the works of many singer/songwriters, most notably Iron and Wine. The familiarity of the record makes Chatterbox easy to digest.

With some growth, Frankel could blossom into a novel songwriter, similar to Jon Brion. Once Orendy recognizes his ability to interweave melodies into wonderfully sweet songs, the sky is the limit for this budding singer/songwriter.