Souvenir

Producer/composer Frank Mastons albums are insular wonderlands of nostalgia and tension, springboarding over the years from a healthy fixation with Beach Boys-derived orchestral pop into something more closely resembling moody 70s film soundtracks or library music. Mastons primarily instrumental compositions were already rich with atmosphere and character, but enlisting Swiss quintet LEclair as his backing band for Souvenir, hes crafted his most fully realized work yet. The eight tracks here breeze by quickly, but the combination of Mastons detail-oriented arrangements and LEclairs tight chemistry as a live band gives every track layers of musical depth and personality. There are still hints of all the reference points Maston mined on earlier albums. Opening track LEau Bleue ambles by lightly, riding a beachy groove and sprinkling in vibraphone melodies and soft strings designed for a mellow drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. Cafe Collonge is lazy and loping, trading runs of tropical flute melodies and loungey synth leads over a restrained funk groove. Mastons homages to his various inspirations have always been intricate and enjoyable, but theres something new clicking into place on Souvenir. The combination of LEclairs locked-in performances and some of Mastons more engaging compositional work give the album an unbroken flow thats at once exciting and relaxed. Several vocal tunes break up the instrumental fare, among them the dreamy Do You Feel It Working, (a song modeled after the songs chillwave was modeled after) and The Doors Are Opening, a synth-heavy fantasy where Harry Nilsson sits in with Broadcast in a session co-produced by Van Dyke Parks and Portishead. Souvenir is a collection of shimmering sounds tied together with thoughtful songwriting, continuing Mastons smart confluence of specific influences while upgrading his sound considerably. ~ Fred Thomas