Frank Lenz: Pyramid
Nearly every piece you read about Frank Lenz begins the same way; something along the lines of:
“Frank Lenz is likely a name you’re not familiar with. But it’s just as likely that you’ve heard him play. Lenz started learning the drums at age 8 and is an accomplished studio drummer who has played with Pedro The Lion, the Lassie Foundation, Duraluxe, Richard Swift and Starflyer 59 and the Weepies, just to name a few.”
Once you read it, it’s understandable why so many pieces begin this way. That’s an impressive resume but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Lenz is also an accomplished songwriter, composer and player in his own right. Allmusic tries to describe Lenz’ solo material this way:
“After playing with several indie bands, Lenz developed his original work as a solo musician, mixing the pop of Burt Bacharach with the rock of Steely Dan, along with jazz fusion and Stevie Wonder-style R&B.”
The Pyramid, Lenz’ latest release (out now) is none of those things. Though not a score, listeners might be tempted to think otherwise. CD Baby describes the album as: “drum and synthesizer music,” noting: “all analog instruments and recording
At six songs just under 30 minutes, Pyramid might seem like an EP but this is not throwaway music. Nor is it casual music. Nor is it a soundtrack (unless you just play it along to life). It is certainly immersive music but it is much too engaging to relegated to the background. Sometimes cacophonous, sometimes groovy, this likely isn’t going to be something you throw on for your dinner party. But you will definitely want to throw on the headphones and give it some attention. This is layered music made with care that deserves to be listened to with attention. The liner notes say:
“Pyramid was recorded over 4 years while testing different synthesizers and experimenting with sounds that would translate into the grainy expanse. With a focus on analog warmth and depth the record was recorded with the least amount of digital signature, source sounds were recorded digitally but everything else was balanced and mixed using only analog equipment and finally committed to tape. The hope was to create the sound of sand and sky and mystery. Although sounding improvised, the music was arranged deliberately almost through-composed with the intent of creating a constant ebb and flow of tension and release.”
Notice what the notes say: “With a focus on analog warmth and depth the record was recorded with the least amount of digital signature, source sounds were recorded digitally but everything else was balanced and mixed using only analog equipment and finally committed to tape.” And that it took four years. The care and attention to detail is apparent. This is a rich, warm sounding record where the ambiance is as much a player as the notes being played.
Lenz says that “The hope was to create the sound of sand and sky and mystery” and sometimes it’s the reviewers job to just get out of the way and just point at things. I have lived with this music for a couple of weeks now and I’ve struggled with the right poetic descriptions but I can’t do better than “the sound of sand and sky and mystery.”
The album ebbs and flows through, jingles, jangles, clinks and clanks, sometimes evoking the feeling of free-jazz (album opener “Drumb Solo”) or the nearest-to-straight-rock the album gets with one of my favorite tracks from the album “Metatronix,” where Lenz barely hints at the funky grooves he’s often known for. The piece swirls with feedback and gurgles with notes just beneath the haze, all while Lenz’ propulsive percussion keeps things moving forward.
Penultimate track, the playfully titled “Plenty Sex Teen Erection” has the releases first official video. It’s also the closest we get to some of the groove Lenz is known for. A propulsive beat sits just underneath an undulating synth line that brings you in and wraps you up in its repetition without becoming repetitive. The track would feel right at home on a Krautrock compilation and I definitely mean that as a compliment. As one reviewer says on the song’s Youtube page: “This song and video rocks my world. I want to roll around in ketchup and mustard now.” I mean, if you’re going to chase “the sound of sand and sky and mystery,” why not do it rolling around in ketchup and mustard, right?
“Tiger Beat Singalong,” the album closer plays with enough retro feels that one might find it at home on the Stranger Things soundtrack, though it’s Lenz’ percussion that keeps the music grounded with just a hint of swing while the music builds, becoming more urgent, almost with a post-rock feel.
Pyramid is a welcome addition to an already rich catalog and will be the soundtrack (though it is not a soundtrack album) to my drive home tonight. I know it’s probably not considered good form to end my review by quoting another review, but, as PopMatters says:
“At just over 24 minutes, Pyramid could almost be considered an EP. The run time is probably the least appealing aspect of this tremendous, playful, weirdly executed, and highly enjoyable album. Frank Lenz has engineered a "mad scientist" vibe that is both quirky and groove-oriented, and the listener can't help but wish there was more of it.”
Now where’s the ketchup and mustard?