Frank Lenz: Vacation
Frank Lenz: Vacation- Saying Frank Lenz has a love of drumming is an understatement. Beginning his career as a studio drummer at the young age of 13, Frank has never looked back. Playing in bands including The Weepies, Everest, The Lassie Foundation, Starflyer 59, and countless others, he is also accredited with producing and recording an excess of other music. They do not come more legitimate than Frank Lenz, and that only becomes more apparent on his latest release, the EP entitled Vacation. This is not Frank’s first attempt with solo material; he released his first solo album, The Hot Stuff, in 2001 and he has been proving his validity and far exceeding expectations ever since.
Filled with everything from pop to R&B to folk, and coupled with Frank’s unique vocal stylings, Vacation happily had me hooked on the first listen, which seems like a rarity these days. Deeply personal lyrics give an acute look into Frank’s life, but its upbeat melodies and catchy one-liners distract you, all the while leading you to believe you had a wonderful time. If you listen a little more carefully, it becomes apparent that Vacation is not simply another feel good pop record; Frank Lenz has created something real.
You are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but admittedly so, we all know that we do. And with song titles including ‘I’ve Been Fucking Up,’ ‘Blackout Girlfriend,’ and ‘Hot Licks Hoolahan’ it is difficult not to assume things about this record. Whether these notions are good or bad, Vacation is both indifferent and defiant to judgement, encouraging “saying yes to what you think is right and doing what you want” (Can’t Go on Like This), which is consequently one of the coolest aspects of this album. It is not very often that every song on an album, or EP for that matter, are so distinctively different yet equally good in their own right…9.5/10