Frantic
Franticis hardly an appropriate title choice for Bryan Ferry, who is the epitome of unflustered, cucumber-cool decorum.Frantic, his first album to feature original material sinceMamouna, has been simmering away on the back burner for all of eight years. And it's all the tastier for it. The ingredients are just right: another song cowritten with formerRoxy MusicpartnerBrian Eno; tunes about models, movies, amour, and large houses; a guest appearance fromRadiohead's Jonny Greenwood on "Hiroshima" (this is Ferry reclaiming his stolen clothes from theNew Romantics' wardrobe); four fine new numbers co-penned in the 1990s with theEurythmics' Dave Stewart; contributions from guitarists of the caliber ofChris SpeddingandMick Green; backing vocalists of the caliber of Lucy Laplansky andAlison Goldfrapp; a little bit of medieval; a little bit ofLeadbelly; and a little bit ofDylan. Often the involvement of so many contributors results in too many cooks spoiling the broth, but not here. Compliments to the chef. This being a Bryan Ferry album, you can still play it at dinner parties, but the sensual ardor put intoFranticsuggests Ferry had blood, sweat, and tears trickling down his tuxedo. This is a fantastic album.--Kevin Maidment