Nick D. Frenette – Space-Bound: The Search For Stardust
Nick D. Frenette – Space-Bound: The Search For Stardust – Album Review
Always awesome to have an artist or band back to our pages, and always a pleasure to find out they’re doing something new with their music! Way back in the day, somewhere towards the end of 2017 we ended up reviewing a duo going by the name of The Post Production that was based out of our backyard in BC – and now we’ve got half of that project, none other than Nick D. Frenette, who has actually been rockin’ as a solo artist for even longer than that. With a catalog of tunes that expands all the way back to 2015 online with his debut album called Quit – we’re glad he didn’t, and that he’s back in action with a brand-new record called Space-Bound: The Search For Stardust that has been freshly released in 2023.
“Far Out” y’all! Indeed! It’s been a trip to learn more about what Nick does and have a listen to this record. You listen to the opening track on Space-Bound: The Search For Stardust, and you can’t help but hear the Bowie-esque influence that likely ties directly into the name of the album itself. Anti-typical to the nth degree, but highly interesting and unique too – “Far Out” is the kind of track that pretty much guarantees we’ll keep listening, if only to find out what the heck else is going on throughout this album, you know what I mean? It’s the kind of song that basically makes it truly impossible to get a complete understanding of what we’d be in-store for, other than music that has creative depth and artistic merit to it. Which of course, are both strong reasons to stick around for sure – but you probably get what I’m saying – “Far Out” gives you a snapshot glimpse of what you MIGHT be in for, without giving it all away.
And would ya look at that…by track two, we’ve got a reunion from The Post Production in full-effect with his cohort James Bourne back to rock the mic for “Keep In Time.” I very much dig the fact that this album really dials in on its cosmic theme and seems to stick to that as its central idea right away. Listen to this will ya? “Keep In Time” is bound to make ya happy and keep ya there – this is the kind of cut that just feels damn good to listen to, you dig? James makes mince meat outta his bars and crushes his guest appearance 100%, and just like we remember from The Post Production’s past music on their self-titled EP, these two really work extremely well together. Bourne’s got identity on the mic and flexes lyrical strength, and Nick comes along to bring the looseness to this groove through the way he sings the hooks – you factor in the beat & bass groove, and voila – trust me y’all, “Keep In Time” could easily qualify as a single. It might still not be a typical tune by any measure, but it’s got the magic required to get noticed.
Ohhh wait…whaaaaaat? We haven’t left yet? You mean all this kickass cosmic sound has been taking place right here on the ground while we’re still on planet Earth? I guess it might not necessarily be Earth – but ladies and gentlemen we have not, I repeat not, been floating in space…not yet. “Lift Off” comes in as an intro track with an AI voice that confirms we’re ready to launch. And here I thought we were already amongst the stars I tells ya! Shows you what I know. Push the button and send me to space yo!
There we go! Now I feel better. “Cosmic Voyage” gets us all off the ground for real, straight out on into the stars where we belong. Solid beat, great tones to the guitars, excellent use of atmospheric sounds in the synths surrounding it all – and you’ve got a stellar guest appearance from Haley Michelle to help deliver the hooks. At nearly seven minutes in length, there’s a lot to “Cosmic Voyage” – but it really finds some excellent moments along the way. You’ve got spots like “when you look up and think of me” that create an endearing image and make a melodic impact on ya, large instrumental sections that feel like they give ya that expansive feeling of being way the heck out in the cosmos, and duet moments that really work well. The most you’ll find me conceding to ya is that “Cosmic Voyage” is workin’ with an anti-chorus, which can often be a tough sell to the masses out there. Essentially, the bulk of the energy in this track comes around the main hooks and not within’em – make sense? Nick and Haley opt for a much more low-key moment in the chorus than you’d probably expect from a song that’s so lively at every other second you’ll hear – like the solos for instance – I’m loving the energy & sound you’ll find there! All-in-all, it’s a quality tune, just assembled and structured in a way that most listeners aren’t typically used to when it comes right down to it, but I’d imagine the strongest moments, pieces, and parts of “Cosmic Voyage” are bound to connect with people strongly and propel this song to a victory.
Time and space seem to start bending around this mission quickly, and the AI intergalactic chatbot returns to recommend we start taking DRUGS y’all. Or medication…you’re welcome to view it that way if you wanna, no judgments here. Anyhow – “Hyperlight-3RK” continues to take us further into the audible odyssey we’ve signed up for, and promises to ratchet up the euphoria we feel & colors we see. Sign me the fuck on up y’all. If AI wants to give us two doses, you better put me down for a modest five.
Then we end up exactly where you’d HOPE you’d be after taking such a sweet, sweet substance – right on into a cover of The Beatles’ “Across The Universe” – where else? This was practically the soundtrack to my high school days, from way before I had all this grey in my beard – because back in my day, we could reach space without even leaving the ground, you feel me? Anyhow. I freakin’ LOVE this! I’ll fully admit, it’s a much more tripped out version of this tune that manages to just barely hang onto the real essence of the melody that makes it great, as in, probably half the people that listen to it wouldn’t even recognize it to be the cover that it actually is. Personally, I think that’s cool. I like the idea of making a song ‘your own’ as they say…any kind of carbon-copy never seems to quite cut it for me when I’m listening to a cover tune. I like there to be some kind of reason & purpose behind it…like you heard some sort of potential in the original that wasn’t fully explored. Nick certainly accomplishes the mission in full in that regard – this is definitely one of the more “Far Out” versions of “Across The Universe” that you’re likely gonna hear in this lifetime & the dude should be proud of that! Not only was it surprising to find this track in the set-list to begin with, but it was equally surprising to find I enjoyed it as much as I did. I’m not one of those originals-purists that think any cover is crap regardless of whether or not they’ve actually listened to it – I’m simply impressed by how different this was, and how much I liked it.
I definitely dig the fact that Nick has made so much time for the instrumentation on this record, and time for the whole aura & vibe of this record to work its magic on ya through the music mainly. Don’t get me wrong, the dude can sing…I think he makes stylistic choices that might not always reveal his very best in that regard, instead opting for something that is more natural and simply a fit for the song as opposed to trying to blow us away in that regard…and I think he’s acknowledged it’s not his main asset as an artist. Dude’s such a multi-talent on a musical level that I think he’s done the right thing by exploring that in his writing more when it comes to this particular record. Having said that, I think you’ll find one of his stronger vocal performances on “The Void” – you really get a good balance between both worlds here between the singing and the music. He’s still really leaning into the Bowie-esque kind of delivery here…which again, makes sense when you consider the title & concept behind this record, but you get a bit more tangible melody from him on this track as well. Musically, you could argue that a track like “The Void” actually has a lot more in common with Pink Floyd overall and you’d get no pushback from me. The throwback vibe in general, is entirely intentional…as to what or who it’ll draw comparisons to might change for each of us based on what we know and what we hear as individuals, but make no mistake, Nick set out to create something much more 60s/70s than a modern-day sound.
Goddamn. I feel SEEN. “Adrift” has our lovely AI basically calling me out on how I feel every day stuck here on Earth in the middle of this valley of malls we’ve created. On the bright-side, she’s assuring me that there’s some kind of hope of managing my symptoms with “proper treatment and support” – and while I might have my doubts about that, if she’s willing to part with some more of that good-good H3RK then I could be at the very least, persuaded to give it the ol’ college try. Bring on the freakin’ lightshow I say…lemme trip into the life fantastic! I dig tracks like “Adrift” that eerily reinforce the overall concept.
“Calling To Mind” has a great beginning…a proclamation of love that you don’t often find expressed, and kind of a subtle warning to back the fuck off just in case you were thinking of taking a shot with Nick’s girl. SHE’S OFF LIMITS NOW Y’ALL…and he’ll make that crystal clear as this song begins. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that “Calling To Mind” has a reggae vibe to it…but like…the same kind of distant cousin that you’d find in the music of The Police & whatnot from around that time. Great instrumentation at work once again here…some of my favorite drums from Nick exist on this song, and the searing guitar tones you’ll find in “Calling To Mind” also make an impact, while the rhythm serves to keep the flashy/cosmic aura of this album’s vibe intact. Not sure it’ll be the instant stand-out to the masses, but I think those out there that play themselves will dig it…”Calling To Mind” is musician’s music, you know what I mean?
As “Day 1000” starts to glow through your speakers & the playful synth line begins to create the melody, it felt like Nick had me at hello on this particular track. He slides right into the Bowie-vibe again quickly as it plays on from there…and…hmm…lemme say this…I LIKE what I’m hearing in each separate part of this song quite a bit…but was way less sure about whether or not it actually did go together. It’s kinda like peanut-butter and pizza, you follow me? I like both those things quite a bit but I’d never have the balls to try’em together at the same time. Nick’s made from a different mettle though y’all – he MIGHT! In any event…I heard that initial synth melody and thought to myself, this has got serious Bowie-like potential here – and then when he started singing in that David-esque style, I was POSITIVE that’s where this was going…but I don’t think that’s where it all ended up. So maybe it was my own wildest hopes & expectations that had me feeling like this song felt a bit more disconnected than I was thinking that it would be. That being said, like I was tellin’ ya, each individual piece of this tune is truly great – I suppose what I’m feeling the most is that Nick might have left a bit on the table here this time around. That synth melody is a huge hook, and working that into this song could have been an incredible opportunity, but it would have also certainly changed the entire course of the direction in the way this song plays out. You get a whole bunch of details in the real storyline of the concept of Space-Bound: The Search For Stardust if you’re listening to “Day 1000” – and start to wonder if this ship will ever make it back home.
“Signs Of Life” is another cut that truly reinforces the theme. As Nick discovers the lost ship that he’s been searching for throughout the cosmos, we’ve got official “Signs Of Life” to give us some hope that the mission will be completed! AI keeps on doin’ scans throughout the song, discovering that the ship is intact, but data has been corrupted…and landing has been recommended! Of all places – it sounds like we’re heading to EARTH from what AI tells us…and if that ain’t the twist of all twists, I don’t know what else could have been! Talk about corrupt data – there ain’t no REAL LIFE on this planet yo! “Signs Of Life” perhaps…traces of what could potentially pass as existence that flash before us between commercials, maybe…the theoretical idea of what sentient beings COULD be…but not a whole lot more. At least not from my jaded-ass perspective. If an AI navigator told me I was about to enter Earth’s atmosphere, believe me, I’d be poundin’ my fist on the captain’s console yellin’ TURN THIS TIN CAN AROUND RIGHT NOW, hittin’ up the hyperdrive & lightspeed stuff, and gettin’ the heck on outta here. Hmm…I think I drifted of course in this review for a moment…RIGHT – there’s a song here! And it is AWESOME! “Signs Of Life” might be one of the scariest to me in terms of its concept and where it’s trying to take us location-wise, but MAN-OH-MAN does it sound freakin’ GOOD. Definitely one of my favorite cuts on Space-Bound: The Search For Stardust without a doubt – “Signs Of Life” is a real jam.
Definitely credit to the mix too, there’s been exceptional definition in the bass-lines throughout this album, and great tone to the guitar as well. “Planet Side” enlists Eric Laurier to lend a hand to another smooth groove to be found on this album – and I’d have to say, there’s not a whole lot here not to love, you follow me? If there’s something else we could have asked of Nick and Eric on this tune, I ain’t hearing it myself – I felt like “Planet Side” came out with seriously accessible sound, major hooks that are bound to be noticed, and a genuinely slick groove that felt like they were playin’ right in the pocket, as they say. Sometimes you come across those moments where things just add up and everything seems to be right in the place you’d wanna find it – “Planet Side” felt like that track to me. It’s still a bit on the “Far Out” side of sound of course, but if I’m being real with ya, if you’ve had no problem at all ridin’ through this psychedelically-tinged sonic adventure so far, you’ll not only have no problem stickin’ around for more, but you’ll truly love what you find in the execution and sound of “Planet Side” for sure.
“Rise & Fall” has an ominous tone as it begins, and then slides on into one of the album’s finest grooves, taking this back-to-back spot between tracks thirteen & fourteen into bulletproof territory. Which, I suppose is probably a real good thing considering they’re busy trying to enter the Earth’s atmosphere & all…you’d wanna be as airtight & bulletproof as possible I’m guessing. “Rise & Fall” might seem slick as it starts after clicking into gear after its haunting intro, but it sure ends up being like a flashing red warning sign as it carries on into its finale. As it continues to get more intense by the second as it plays on, eventually you reach a pivotal line that sums up the main problem – “this mission is a failure.” I mean…it’s a good thing this album and its concept are a success, otherwise I’d be feelin’ pretty bad for Nick and this whole adventure right now. “Rise & Fall” is a tremendously versatile tune that feels fully malleable with its rubbery groove right from the start…catchy, accessible, and eventually, it also rocks the fuck right out too. A solid combination of dynamics if you ask me, and it further adds to the story.
As if it needed even more tie-ins to help ya understand the story and what it’s based around beyond references to being left-handed, the title of the album, the songs that tell the tale & relate its solar theme to ya, the sound of each track and way that Nick sings these spaced-out tunes – you get another hint in case you were missing all that with “Starlight – Blackstar Version” towards the end. That’s when, if you weren’t grasping it, you’ll realize that this was entirely a tributary record from the very beginning, that creates a completely fictional storyline about trying to navigate the cosmos in search of good ol’ Ziggy Stardust. So you see, dear readers, dear listeners, dear friends & fellow travelers – Nick’s put this album together with incredible purpose, passion, and intent from the very start – nothing you’ve heard, and no similarities we’ve found along the way have been any kind of accident. I really enjoyed “Starlight – Blackstar Version” all-around…I think it’s a crucial cut on the album in terms of its theme and making sure that everyone eventually climbs aboard this voyage once & for all – but beyond that, it’s just a really damn good tune. Do I agree with the sentiment and the inspiration behind it all? You fuckin’ betcha. David Bowie was way more than your mere average legend, he was an interplanetary GIFT to earth, its people, and our stereo systems…I’m every bit as forever thankful as Nick is, with the exception that I didn’t get off my duff to create an entirely kickass tribute album to the ol’ Thin White Duke of course. But I feel ya brother-man – I get it. Love the soul & harmonies in “Starlight – Blackstar Version” – all-in-all, it’s not all that far off what you might expect a Jack White style of tribute might sound like. It’s raw, it’s melodic, it’s beautiful…there’s lot of great cuts on this album, but this is its true centerpiece. I don’t think the mission has been a failure at all to be honest with ya – I think tracks like “Starlight – Blackstar Version” prove definitively that there’s a little bit of Bowie’s artistic magic in all of us, somewhere.
Now…I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Nick was holding out on us from the start, because I’ve genuinely enjoyed this record and the massive display of creativity & musicianship he’s put into it from the moment I started listening…but by that same token, he sure has saved a lot of serious firepower for the second half of Space-Bound: The Search For Stardust. “Freezing Rain” for example, is yet another ICE COLD GROOVE that delivers from start to finish – you feel the THUMP of the beat in this song straight in your chest y’all! Great guitars & vocals in this tune too, but it’s that main rumble and shake of the way that makes “Freezing Rain” connect as much as it does. Lots of songs need some kind of description to give the people out there a reason or two as to why they’d wanna listen, and then there are songs like “Freezing Rain” that speak volumes on their own behalf. This track rocks, completely, and that’s all there is to it – anything I could say would only tarnish how awesome it actually IS, full stop. So there!
While I don’t know that I’d simply proclaim that “Freezing Rain” is my favorite cut on this record, it is definitely right up there…to the point where I knew whatever was to come next was probably sitting in the toughest spot in the lineup to fill. “Surface Green” ain’t a bad tune by any stretch of the imagination – in fact, I don’t think this album even has one of those – but yeah…definitely a track that’s got the odds stacked up against it after the heavy pounding defined badassery that had taken place just prior to it. At 6:15, it’s a lengthy track, with a somewhat split personality to it, or at the very least, two fairly distinct halves that join together into one experience. More-so than either of its pieces, I felt like I was actually more in love with the actual transition in this tune…it’s the bridge between its part one & two that I felt was the most engaging part of “Surface Green.” It’s actually got a bit of an early Arcade Fire type of vibe to it as well, which is never a bad thing…Progressive-Folk-Rock in a sense…it’s a real combination of expressive sound that gives you a whole lot of colorful vibes to appreciate and marvel at, which is good! Probably not gonna be everyone’s number one choice on the record, and again, a tough spot in the set-list to survive with such a decisively kickass cut right beforehand, but “Surface Green” does hold its own.
I’m gonna miss our AI chatbot mistress…she’s been a real pleasure to travel with. “Final Entry” informs you that we’re nearly finished this ride, and that we’re about to be put to sleep in stasis for the last bit of this adventure. I recommend resisting that, at least for another…let’s say…four minutes and six seconds – that way you can at least squeeze in one last track before you slumber – and it’s called “Rest.”
You get the feeling right away from the sound of “Rest” that there’s a very good chance Nick is going to tackle this last track completely instrumentally…it’s the kind of sound that again, speaks for itself. Words wouldn’t necessarily hinder it, but they could potentially get in the way. So instead, he wisely opts to let the music spin y’all…giving you some absolutely spellbinding downhome tones that are stunningly gorgeous, evocative, and powerfully real to listen to. On what’s been a completely stellar concept record filled with amazing material, “Rest” still manages to stand out without using a single word – my compliments to the chef, because this last cut is mighty tasty. It’s like somewhere between the comforting vibes of something like the classic Ben E. King tune “Stand By Me,” crossed with the melancholy sleepiness of a song like “Sleepwalking” by Modest Mouse, infused with the atmospheric excellence of a song by the Album Leaf on the early records…you get what I mean I’m sure – I freakin’ love this song; how could I not when it reminds me of a combination of all-things-awesome? “Rest” feels digitally orchestral, virtually beautiful, and organically sincere to the nth degree…I’m very much a fan of how Nick D. Frenette chose to end this album, and dare I say, “Rest” would be right up there with my own favorites on Space-Bound: The Search For Stardust when it comes right down to it. It’s been quite the epic journey from start to finish – but I’m more than thankful to have been along for the ride.
Find out more about Nick D. Frenette from his official page at Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/nickdtunes
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