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THE FREE DESIGN
Kites Are Fun
Heaven/earth
Light In The Attic/US/CD
Whiter than white, fluffier than a cloud, the Free Design's music is so carefree, ebullient and uplifting it must be the handiwork of a sinister cult. But no, they consisted of four Dedrick siblings (two guys, two gals) who sang like Dale Carnegie-trained angels and floated in the same sunshiny ether as contemporaries like the Association, 5th Dimension and the Zombies (but without their chart clout). These nicely packaged reissues of 1967's Kites Are Fun and 1969's Heaven/Earth showcase this New York group's cynicism-melting vocal harmonies and gorgeous orchestral-pop arrangements. The Dedricks' classical-music training bolsters the songs with a sophistication and depth beyond that of their more celebrated peers. Initial listens may lead you think the Free Design are a parody of innocent, Ultrabrite pop, but they're as serious as your life and much more beautiful. (Light In The Attic will reissue the rest of the band's back catalog and a series of 12-inch remix EPs by people like Nobody, Stereolab and Madlib.)
- Dave Segal
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