Arguably the original proto-punk, Jonathan Richman, has released his 18th album, Only Frozen Sky Anyway on July 4th. Like every Jonathan Richman record from his earliest proto-punk days in Modern Lovers to his big-screen turn as the minstrel in Farrelly Brothers’ There’s Something About Mary (like in the credits scene where he’s performing in a tree) to his prolific and excellent solo output, Jonathan Richman does not disappoint.
Accompanied by his longtime drummer/percussionist Tommy Larkins and Talking Heads (and former Modern Lovers bandmate) Jerry Harrison, Jonathan serves up 12 new tracks that showcase his fun, narrative prowess, unparalleled by any modern musical storyteller. The first released track “I Was Just a Piece of Frozen Sky” pulls you in immediately into his acoustic world, opening up the record to probably one of the most pleasant and delicious listens you’ll hear in a long time.
Only Frozen Sky Anyway finds Richman in his prime, traipsing through acoustic styles effortlessly from track to track. Lifting the melody and chorus from Bee Gee’s eponymous hit single, Richman creates a nostalgic narrative in “Night Fever,” where he takes on a voyeuristic look on typical a Saturday night in Europe. The infectiously propulsive “The Older Girl” sees Richman warning a younger fellow to avoid dating up (“She was a whole year older / And I looked a lot younger / I was too young to know how important those two things were”).
The Spanish-inflected “Se Va Pa’volver” captures the thematic thread of departures and returns that permeates the album. Richman said of the song, “The song is about how our friends are leaving, in their dying, on an errand, only to return in another role… with another mission. How do I dare say such a thing? Oh…I don’t know.”
Considered one of the greatest songwriters in the last fifty years, Richman hasn’t stayed stagnant in his music writing, having avoided cliches or trends of the day. Instead, he continues to release music that expands beyond genres and taste. With Only Frozen Sky Anyway, he’s created one the most engaging and refreshing albums of his career.
Photo Credit: Driely S
