Martin Frawley - The Wannabe - VINYL LP

Workin' all day, trying to forget about the old me. Like most of us, Martin Frawley is busy trying to work himself out. He lives alongside the long shadow of his late dad, musician and songwriter Maurice Frawley, a cultural icon of the Australian underground and collabora- tor of Paul Kelly, Tex Perkins and Mick Thomas. Most of Martin's 20s were spent writing and playing songs in locally beloved Melbourne band Twerps - a collection of pals who were on the forefront of the city's jangle pop renaissance. A few albums, US tours and band rotations under it's belt, Twerps split up in 2018 and Martin turned his compass towards a solo project. His first album, Undone at 31 (2019), was a bit of a reckoning; a wild ride through the wreckage of both a band and longterm romantic break up. His new album The Wannabe is a personal, cheeky and, at times, self-depreiciating collection of songs unpacking the reality of finding his way as an adult without his dad around, and ultimately falling back in love with life, music and someone new. Martin and his band - friends Dan Luscombe (The Drones), Steph Hughes (Boomgates, Dick Diver), Nik Imfeld (Tyrannaman) and Dan Kelly - had heaps of fun recording The Wannabe in Melbourne. The title track is a particularly spicy take on an entertainment industry that seems to give more shits about marketing than music. The album is a bit of an emotional tour, from anger and derision, through to comedy, through to deep and honest love. It's positive with a lot of sadness. Not unlike Martin himself. As well as the guitar, Martin had some fun playing the piano on this record. The technical term is 'multiinstrumentalist' but Martin's more of a musical explorer of sorts. No one is exactly sure how these things work - if Martin was born into music or if it was born into him, but it doesn't really matter. Music is what he loves. It's what he does. It's not a

Gaye Adegbalola delivers her InchMistresspiece,Inch Gaye Without Shame. She is of course well-known as a founding member of Saffire - the Uppity BluesWomen. Over 25 years, Saffire built a worldwide following and crossed over beyond Blues to a larger fan base of socially-conscious music lovers of all gender persuasions. Gaye's three previous solo-artist CD's set the stage for Gaye Without Shame, her most focused gift of deep Blues, unifying messages, social insight, and her trademark wicked wit. She has reached inside to her life experience and soulful heart for her best singing and songwriting. She's chosen some classic cover songs but given them her own twist. Her expressive acoustic slide guitar playing is showcased for the first time and this CD also features her first electric Blues band recordings.

Named for the year in his life when the bottom fell out following a long-term romantic partnership, Martin Frawley sequenced Undone at 31 chronologically to emphasize his journey. Those familiar with his time as co-leader of Melbourne's Twerps will take comfort in hearing his deceptively simple songwriting is still intact, but the big reveal here is how new instrumentation and influences seamlessly expand his playground. It might take several listens for one to realize Frawley is singing InchSomething About MeInch over just violin, Moog, and a Graceland-esque bassline, or to appreciate the PB+J pairing of Fender Rhodes and lap steel on InchWhere the Heart Is,Inch which serves as Undone at 31's twist ending. Frawley's album does not shy away from morbid musings and raw emotions that come with a breakup, and like Shoot Out the Lights or Sea Change, Undone at 31's tunefulness and exploration combined are what elevate the music above the melancholy subject matter.