Donovon Frankenreiter

In the case of Donovon Frankenreiter’s self-titled debut, the adage about a whole being more than the sum of its parts is totally untrue. This record is exactly what the parts that went into making it dictated that it would be. Recorded in Hawaii and produced by Jack Johnson, every track is a laid-back and sleepy acoustic jam sure to weave its way directly into the pleasure centre of the brain. Sounding like a hippie that just awoke from a 35-year dream in the new century, Frankenreiter draws from acoustic influences like Arlo Guthrie and ’60s R&B. Sounding decades old in its style, it manages to sound current by wisely avoiding any sharp sloganeering or revelatory lyrical statements. The result is simply a beautiful record for beauty’s sake; without any underlying agendas or dark clouds on the horizon. Tunes including "Free,” (which features Jack Johnson) "Our Love,” and "Call Me Papa,” are simply well written and arranged songs about the pursuit of freedom and love, that don’t try to break any new lyrical ground and don’t need to. Much like Cody ChessnuTT, Donovon Frankenreiter may wind up sounding revolutionary in his abject refusal to be anything but himself. By relying on the basics of the human condition, Frankenreiter has stumbled across something rare: a songwriting ability that doesn’t require the crutch of needing a message.