release date: Oct. 31, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]
producer: Roddy Frame, Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley
label: WEA/ Warner - nationality: Scotland, England
Track highlights: 1. "Rainy Season" (4 / 5) - 2. "Sun" - 3. "Crazy" - 4. "On the Avenue" (4 / 5) (live on Later) - 6. "Debutante" (4 / 5) - 7. "Beautiful Girl" - 9. "Method of Love" - 10. "Sunset"
6th and final studio album released as Aztec Camera is produced in a collaboration work with the big 1980s producer-duo Winstanley / Langer, who stood behind many British mainstream and alternative artists who sought a "broad" mainstream appeal. Despite this, the album is far from the almost sterile synthpop of the previous album Dreamland (1994). I see Frestonia as an attempt to make a more 'naked' / 'honest' album without synths, drum machines and instrumental programming. Instead it's more traditional music blending folk rock, pop and jangle pop accentuating the singer / songwriter aspect of Roddy Frame. Aztec Camera was always just a moniker for Roddy Frame, and I think he just came to terms with the fact that he should release his music under his own name. The album turns out as a more sincere album dedicated to personal experiences with a minimum amount of additional musicians, and it sort of kick-starts / underlines his forthcoming solo career as Roddy Frame.
Music critics and album buyers simply rejected the album, and Frestonia may be regarded as a commercial failure. It only made it to number #100 on the UK albums chart list and far from previous sales numbers of any album by the Roddy Frame moniker, which may have led to his decision to start releasing material in his own name after this.
What I initially experienced as another hits and misses attempt from this 'had-been' artist is actually more of a new beginning. Had he only released it as Roddy Frame, I think it would have been much more appreciated at the time. Aztec Camera was jangle pop and sophistipop, but this is not. It's much closer to his first release, North Star as Roddy Frame, which would be released in 1998, but it also continues with the jazz and folk elements from Stray, which I always considered his best. This is simply one the best album by Aztec Camera / Roddy Frame and therefore highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]
