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Nick Saloman, AKA the Bevis Frond, has been in hibernation for a few years, but that doesn’t mean he’s been idle. Instead he’s been putting together a set of songs and a backing band for his daughter Debbie Duveen, and the fruits of that labor appear as Neon Classic.
It’s time well spent. Duveen is a fine, expressive singer, with a dulcet tone, an empathetic ear and the kind of confident delivery that indicates a star in the making. Given such a strong instrument to work with, her dad responds both with tasteful, sympathetic backing (the Millbanks being the most recent Frond touring band) and with one of the best sets of songs he’s ever produced.
“Cryo-Love,” “The Love of ‘99” and “Girls About Town” sound like classic Frond pop songs, while the rocking “Don’t Belong” and “Could Be Anyone” bring Frondly guitar firepower to the party. Duveen’s versatile vocals slot right in like the musical settings were custom made. But everybody shines brightest on the ballads. From the gorgeous “Contact With Air” to the jazzy “In the Rough,” the assertive “Bored, Tired & Disgusted” (“But I still have a dream”) to the straightforward “What More Could I Lose” (the kind of universally appealing song Saloman would likely never do with the Frond), the combination of singer and song hits a truly compelling potency. Neon Classic is the birth of a remarkable career.
http://debbieduveen.bandcamp.com/album/neon-classic
