Ben Garrett, aka frYars, is a skinny, wavy-haired 18-year-old London-based singer-songwriter with a Roxy swagger, and whose velvety baritone sounds like it’s emerging from someone twice his age and stature. It makes perfect sense he was brought to our attention by a friend (thanks, Kristi), who heard of him through Beirut’s sax player while she was traveling across the puddle. Here, though, instead of a youthful croon wrapping around Balkan brass, Garrett sets up his intelligent tales of death and happiness within danceable, but totally pop-rock synth and piano symphonies, giving a sort of Bowie lift-off and a bit of that Jarvis suavity to the proceedings. Garrett, who runs with the fellow BTW Cajun Dance Party and Bombay Bicycle Club crew, recently released his four-song debut, The Ides EP — we’re hooked on every last note of it. For starters there’s the title track with its irresistible “You should have died that very night / Good job for you, I wasn’t born a killer” hooks and propulsively dark, but glam undertow. The tune’s appropriately hued video — gothy masked ballerina in her own world, a sharply dressed Garrett amid a cast of walking lampshades blinking out code — is raring to go after the jump, along with a pair of MP3s from the EP. “You took my life, you took my pride…”
[photo by Elisha Smith-Leverock]
Proving he’s somewhat of a hit machine, as promised, here are two more EP standouts.
Anyone else hear a little bit of Current 93 in “happyY”‘s opening monologue? “We could find new angles more violent and wonderful,” etc. But only if David Tibet then lifted off into the Stardusted Rufus realm. Actually, “Madeline”‘s about a missing girl, though not the one you think, so there’s a bit of that C93 thing there, too. But again, it’s just way to pop shimmery to be dour. Maybe that’s why we can’t stop listening.
You can hear more over at FrYspace. And we imagine, yes, you’ll be hearing a lot more very very soon.
The Ides EP is out on frYarcorp/Make Mine.
 |
 |
Thanx for the intro to this guy. Pretty sophisticated stuff for an 18 year old, and even cooler it’s a one man band.
Aw cute! Its like… a male version of Kate Nash! (now, Im going to go and shoot myself)
Nash? Are you stupid. There is undeniably pop in this. But its british not annoyingly londonish. So much more talent than her.
good post.
That vocal dip he does at the beginning of nearly every line is unbearable. I can only imagine the distortions his face must make when actually singing.
Don’t people think about singing anymore? It’s not just about hitting the right notes. But what do I know, maybe he’s trying to sound like a muppet.
E-gads I am such a twat.
Nevermind that last post, I must have been hungry or grumpy or something, because it’s not as bad as all that. In fact, there’s still a lot of merit to the music, especially considering he’s only 18. Hope there are good things in his future.
I’m really digging this new stuff…
Sounds a lot like Dan Bejar of Destroyer
tcv, yeah you are a twat, and even more so for trying ot sound british when you’re not
Reminds me of Sparks… that might be good.