Melvin Fromm Jr. – Singles
Melvin Fromm Jr. – Singles Review
The imagination can be a limitless & wonderful gift when combined with making music. Melvin Fromm Jr. continues to show no boundaries when it comes to the sound/style of his instrumental music…he can get a little wild & crazy sometimes, but I think musicians from all-over the world would vouch for the fact that it takes a little bit of craziness to be a real artist. We’ve recently been checking out singles from MF Jr. and discovering that his clear passion and drive for music is capable of taking him anywhere when it comes to the sound of what we might hear – and we’ve got another new set of four in the mix today, let’s check these out…
I think in the sets from the past it was usually later in the list of songs where I found my favorite of the bunch from Melvin, but this time it happened instantly. As “Happy Filled Love” started, I immediately checked the ‘repeat one’ function on my music-player and just let this gorgeous tune spin for a little while on its own. The gentle, invitational and friendly atmosphere of “Happy Filled Love” is beautifully stunning and absolutely one of my favorite tunes that I’ve heard from Melvin so far without question. We’ve talked a lot about the potential that exists within Fromm Jr.’s music for soundtracks in film/TV plenty – but a song/melody like this also makes you appreciate the potential he’d have for collaborations of all-kinds. Truthfully, the gentle acoustic-guitar filled gem he’s created with “Happy Filled Love” is the kind of short & sweet tune that singers truly dream of having come their way. Melvin does really well in slower-paced gears, environments & atmospheres like this…the added space & pacing have led him to extraordinarily beautiful moments in the past and this first song fits right in there with the best of the chilled-out tunes from that side of Melvin’s catalog.
“Great Potential For Big Dreams” would be an example of the other dominant-side of Melvin’s music with the more upbeat & up-tempo piano taking over through the wild melody created in this tune. I really do believe this guy is an unsung hero in music right now…I think the imaginative & passionate way he plays the piano on “Great Potential For Big Dreams” has absolutely inspiring, uplifting energy built right into the rhythm & sweet-groove. I don’t know if it was just me or my speakers or what…but it sounded like “Great Potential For Big Dreams” also had some fun with the production; I’ve got piano tones bouncing out of the left & rights here in audibly fantastic ways! It’s a real adventure as far as melody goes overall…it plays like one blissful, focused idea and stays cohesive throughout its length; but it also really winds through amazing spots in the performance that highlight Melvin’s real ability to capture the magic at any given moment in time.
The bizarre waltz of “Winter Into Spring Life” gives you audible-insight into a bit of that craziness I mentioned in the intro. Personally, I live for songs like this…but mind you, I also spent about a decade telling people that asked me what I listened to (truthfully, I must say) that I listened to ‘music that basically sounded like a broken answering-machine.’ While that might be true of myself, this song is far from the sound of a broken answering-machine…but it IS right up my alley. I like quirky, off-beat and unique tunes that use stunning tones, textures, atmospheres and editing-skills; I can acknowledge it’s not always what you might want to have on your playlist but I also think there’s a ton of time & places for a song like this. “Winter Into Spring Life” isn’t typical by any means with it’s strange timing…but I’d be willing to bet you can hear the stunning beauty & complexity of this tune together like I can.
In a rare-shift of…pretty much everything…I was a bit indifferent about the final track I was listening to called “Chocolate Nose Brick Of Dreams.” Production-wise it seemed to slip a bit in comparison to the previous-three…but mind you, this song also heads back to different requirements with it being comprised of guitar, bass & drums. The bass of “Chocolate Nose Brick Of Dreams” was without question the strongest element; other than that, the kind of care & grace that Melvin usually approaches his music & writing with seemed to be a little absent on this final track. Much more of a straight-ahead idea with what maybe becomes too repetitive even over the short course of the now-infamous 2.5 minute-mark that Melvin writes his music to be. I think the drums are good, I think the bass saves the song when it comes right down to it…it might have been that the guitars were a bit too bright in the mix or that the tone felt a bit jarring…or hey, it might just have been because the other three came out sounding so amazing – this final tune fell short for me by comparison.
That being said, it should be entirely noted once again just how much Melvin Fromm Jr. takes-on when it comes to different styles & sounds in his music…and most certainly, that his average in creating ideas that connect & work is well-above par. He’s not afraid to go after his dreams and put his music out there in every direction possible…hit or miss, that kind of positive attitude and boundless determination will always pay-off in the long run; it will for Melvin too, I’m sure.
Find out more about Melvin Fromm Jr. at his official page at Facebook: www.facebook.com/composermelvinfrommjr
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