While we get a fair share of new music throughout the year (Okay, a LOT of new music throughout the year) there’s only a small amount that we’d honestly label as a “must hear” or in rarer cases “a diamond in the rough” because in today’s climate it’s really hard to come across something that actually stands out. That said, it is truly a pleasure to be able to sit here and type up that killher by Blackstone, MA’s Frankie Eris seriously ticks all those boxes. And in the interest of not letting an album like that become the stuff of legend that’s more a coveted find because it’s so underrated or overlooked, let’s share some words in the here and now as to why you should begin your Eris era sooner rather than later.
“Vanessa” is enchanting, introducing listeners to Eris’ unforgettable cadence and range with an instrumental backdrop built by Buck Weir on drums and percussion and Dave Melo on bass and guitar accompanying Eris’ own rhythm guitar which, when combined, takes all those enthralling mystical elements from Alice In Chains’ legendary Sap EP and combines it with the lush soundscapes that Fleetwood Mac seemingly siphoned out of the magical Nicks/Buckingham connection.
“Obligation” elegantly flows out of “Vanessa” with subdued drums, subtle bass lines and intricate guitar interplay as Eris emotively conveys the message and then “Lazy Susan” adds some instrumentation (Weir’s driving percussion and twinkling xylophone pings) yet strips things down more, shining a light on Eris’ bluesy, soulful delivery.
There’s a lot to love to start the record but it was “Daisies” that really did something for us, being something that definitively exists at this moment (Happy Little Clouds would be a contemporary to compare here) but also a timeless tome embodying ’60’s or ’70’s early psychedelia or the more far out moments of ’90’s Alternative to pick a few genre nods. Again, we DIG the record but that’s just one of the beautiful things about killher: If something ain’t quite your bag then chances are you’ll absolutely LOVE what’s next.
Next in this case is “Pluto” featuring Erron Greer on harmonica which is a slight acoustic comedown following “Daisies” or maybe the calm before the storm that is “The Waves” which happily reminds us of Blind Melon and the soft intensity bubbling below the surface within each of their fabled sonic stories. “Sorry Mother Mary” is a righteous penultimate chapter which builds and builds before bleeding out into “Anger Management” which offers Eris, Weir and Melo one last chance to dance before taking their final bow.
killher is out now and you can find your copy in the digital spaces by heading here or here or, alternately, here for physical copies. For more from Frankie Eris, hit the information superhighway to find the socials conveniently collected for you here or here.