|
THE FREE DESIGN
Kites Are Fun
Light In The Attic LITA 004 (42:19)
Heaven/Earth
Light In The Attic LITA 005 (58:06)
These welcome re-releases of the Free Design's first and third albums, from 1967 and 1969, are a chance to re-evaluate a family group that have been written off as lightweight sunshine pop. The list of artists who champion the group - Beck, Belle & Sebastian, Stereolab, Cornelius and St. Etienne -alert us to the fact there is more here than just pretty sibling harmonies. Jazz, folk and pop influences are used intelligently by the Dedrick family, who were given a fair degree of freedom by their record label. While they were pushed towards some covers (including 'If I Were a Carpenter', 'Summertime', '59th Street Bridge Song', 'Michelle' and 'A Man And A Woman'), they invariably made them their own.
Standouts include 'My Brother Woody', 'Umbrellas' and 'Girls Alone'. Their nearly-hit, 'Kites Are Fun', is engaging period pop, and their many originals abound with complex harmonies and lyrical invention that will be lapped up by fans of the 5th Dimension, Association and Beach Boys. Newly remastered, and with full notes and bonuses, including eight on the Heaven/Earth album, these are splendid reissues. - Kingsley Abbott
|