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 A week ago I was corralled in to going to Waffle House at 2 am with Uncle Marshall, Doc Possum, and a mutual friend.  You know how those late night excursions turn out, so I don’t need to elaborate on that much.  We were sitting there, shooting the breeze and spelling messages out in ketchup.  I brought up the long overdue review I promised, and now I’m here.

Frown Pow’r is a motley crew comprised of Doc Possum (Blake Phillips), Flash Gurdon (JT Tarpley), Uncle Marshall (Marshall Dunn), Stankerbell (John Babb), and Mean Paul (Paul Fennig).  Yeah, they have normal names too, but their stage ones are totally more fun to use.I’ve referenced their real names above so you know who is who.  These men have a good thing going here, and I’m proud to know & support them.

Their first full length album, Don’t Doubt It, Shout It!, in accordance with Little Rock’s own Thick Syrup Records and Last Chance Records, was finally released on September 11, 2009.  Sticky Fingerz was abuzz with people waiting in anticipation of FP’s set.  However, they had to make it through sets by the equally talented Androids of Ex-Lovers and The See.  Androids killed their set, and I have a feeling they made some new fans because of that.  The See came up and performed with their trademark antics and energy.  However, the focus was on the five-piece band gearing up to play.  Sound check always takes a hot minute for Frown Pow’r because they have a plethora of instruments, but those who’ve seen them expect that delay. 

The show went off without a hitch, and I eagerly got my copy along for one with my friend in France.  I chose to listen to it with fresh ears a day or so later, and since I was sick it was easy to accomplish that task. 

I knew I’d like them for the long run after my first outing to see them.  I was immediately drawn to the song Stomp Wagon.  I love the fact that Flash Gurdon’s vocals start off uniform and get progressively more erratic almost to the point of sounding painful.  It’s a song about living and dying with music, and I don’t think it could be anymore truthful if it tried.

The song Keep on Clappin’ also grabbed my attention early on due to the fact that it’s extremely catchy and positive.  Yes it’s repetitive, but not in the obnoxious, shut the hell up kind of way.  It has an uplifting message, and never fails to get people smiling, dancing, and tapping tambourines with such fervor that I haven’t seen in some time.  “Bad things just keep on happenin’,” but you just have to forge ahead even if it means you clap them out to cheer up.

That Pow’r You Possess is the album’s midway point.  I believe the band chose wisely to place it here.  It’s what I like to consider their “slow jam,” a breather if you have it.  A band needs a slight rest once in awhile as does the audience, so it fits perfectly.

Everyone’s A Winner evokes an outer space like feel when I listen to it.  I’m not a huge noise music enthusiast, but I can deal with the amount they infused in to this track.  After the noisy section, Tarpley’s voice cuts through clear as day to your ears.  His vocals get rougher as the song goes on to the point where I wonder if it hurt to sing this song.  Even though his voice sounds stressed by the latter part of the song, you can tell he’s singing his heart out. 

To save a bit of time, I’ll talk about one other specific song, O! Lord!, and describe a group of other tracks in a bit.  O! Lord!, is the absolutely best possible way to end this album.  It culminates in the listener basically being transported in their minds to an old school, southern style church.  When I first heard it, I felt as if the guys needed a twenty-person, boisterous church choir to back them up on the chorus.  The tune also offers up a chance to showcase each member’s individual talents, while ensnaring the audience and convincing them to sing along and join in rapturous revelry.

Several songs remind me of the Beatles, as David Fair of Half Japanese, pointed out in his review.  I strongly urge you to read what he wrote because it’s just that good.  However, not all the songs sound like that.  A few of them remind me heavily of the Chuck Berry & Jerry Lee Lewis era of rock ‘n’ roll.  These men have found a happy medium that seems to be working quite well for them.

Listening to this album from start to finish basically leaves me feeling as if I was just at a Frown Pow’r show.  Well, minus the tambourines and dancing people.  I love that the album causes me to think and feel that way because it’s a rare thing to capture, but they have perfected it.

Don’t Doubt It, Shout It! is gloriously lo-fi.  I personally would not change it in the least.  Even if you’re not in to the whole lo-fi scene, I suggest you check out the album.  You’d be hard pressed not to crack a smile or at least like one of the songs on the album since there is something for everyone on it.  In a relatively new era of music from Little Rock, this album, with several others, are shining examples of the many talented musicians we have here.  I’m proud of all the hard work that they put in to this record, and it’s evident to those who listen to it.  Until the next album or show, whichever comes first, “I’m going to keep on, keep on clappin’ as I hop on the stomp wagon and head on up the road.”

-L


(Photo by: Judea Jackson)