FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
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| CD REVIEW MITCHELL FROOM · Producer/pianist who shaped the sound and style of Crowded House, Ron Sexsmith, American Music Club, Jimmy Scott and Suzanne Vega releases his first solo project. · Froom co-wrote and performed each song with some of his favorite musicians including Sexsmith, Sheryl Crow, Jerry Stahl and members of Los Lobos. Arguably today's most distinctive and creative music producer, Mitchell Froom has brought the best out of songwriters for years by mixing the stark and subtle with the heavy-handed and trash-can noises of the underground. Listening to a Froom project can be as distant as hearing a band play through an open window three streets away (Latin Playboys), or as intimate as having the artist whisper in your ear (Ron Sexsmith). So the last thing to expect from a good producer is a record that is entirely over-produced. But as much as Froom comes across like a kid in a candy studio, it is easy to forgive. After all, he is a producer - and this is his showcase. Juggling the Hammond organ, accordion, claviola, piano and a room full of toys, Froom takes every artist to outer space and back (some are up for the trip more than others): Sheryl Crow gets schizophrenic on "Monkey Mind," screaming over a campy Bossa Nova beat. Los Lobos' big frontman David Hildago relives the vibe he and Froom created with the Latin Playboys on the super groovy tune, "Tastes Good"; and for once, the woe-is-me Mark Eitzel holds our attention for a whole song. But too often, Froom buries a good song with distracting bells and whistles: Ron Sexsmith sounds like Kermit the Frog struggling to sing underwater, while too much jungle jumble and field noise make Lisa Germano's contribution just plain annoying to sit through. Dopamine is not an easy listen. That's fine -I just wish it was a better one. 3 of 5 |
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