frank is the latest release from dolfin records, a texas indie label with a prominent underground roster that includes rapper lord byron, producer ben hixon, r&b singer jon bap, and former stanley clarke drummer mike mitchell. liv.e is one of the newer artists on the label, having previously collaborated with hixon through a series of dj parties in dallas (“new math mondays”). hixon and bap have significant marks on this project, providing production, mixing, and background vocals. the beats they lend are often heavy on the drums, with short, hazy riffs that resemble dilla-style syncopated loops. frank opens with a short hiss, launching into a jittery pattern of cymbals and drums, stinging bass slaps, and bouncy guitar riffs. you can almost see the tape reels rolling in front of you as the instrumental loops play themselves out with occasional flutters and skips. a chorus of voices enter with harmonies out of the george clinton songbook, blending in behind the slow, finger-snapping beat. it sounds more like a lost, dusty funk recording from the ’70s than an r&b song made in 2017. -nitish pahwa (passion of the weiss)
