ARTIST - FRASER

CD - HOUSE ON A HILL

LABEL - INDEPENDENT ARTIST

RELEASE DATE - FALL, 2008

SOUNDS LIKE - John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Rob Thomas, Matchbox 20

DEFINING MOMENTS - Love Story, Let you Down, Rules

STRENGTH - Songwriting ,Originality, Vocal Delivery

WEAKNESS - Substandard Production Quality (recording, mix and mastering)

KATAVI RATING - 3 out of 7 masks

Canadian singer, songwriter Fraser released his latest CD entitled House on a Hill in Autumn of 2008. A slew of internet searches revealed no first name for this artist who hails from Ontario. Apparently this is Fraser’s second release as an independent artist. House on a Hill presents a delightful blend of soft acoustic folk, combined with just a dash of rock and blues. The focal point of this CD is Fraser himself with just his voice, acoustic guitar, and harmonica in the forefront. It’s this conservative combination that gives Fraser his strong suit.  Fraser clearly possesses a lot of talent as he plays piano, guitar, harmonica and sings. His delicate vibrato is soothing as much as it is original and reminiscent of Jack Johnson. Fraser’s visual presentation is just as impressive. With his acoustic guitar in hand, mounted harmonica, wife beater, and fedora, sporting a five day shadow, Fraser’s got a rock solid look to him. What’s equally as impressive is his songwriting craft, which has a folksy Matchbox 20, John Mayer-ish type vibe to it.

The CD kicks off with “Dusklight”, a slow acoustical piece that gently takes the listener by the hand and introduces you to Fraser via his solitary guitar/vocal delivery. This CD gets off the ground nicely with Track 2: “Let you Down”. This song shifts the CD into high gear with a full compliment of drums, bass, and solo guitar. Track 3: “Rules”, is just as upbeat with catchy lyrics, and a strong chorus. You will also notice an array of musical touches layered everywhere throughout the CD, from lap steel guitars, to harmonicas, French horns, and a saloon style piano. Track6: “Love Story” was the big selling point for me. This song is by far the most personal statement on House on a Hill. It was at this point I realized Fraser reminded me of Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20) except with a Canadian accent. Songs like “Fire Elegy”, and “Lead Me” show the bluesy side of Fraser as well, while songs like “Going Home”, and “A Story”, put him back within his solitary acoustical comfort zone.  The CD has a smooth landing with Track10; “Tonight”; a wonderful finale that gently sends the listener on their way. Overall; House on the Hill has a lot of musical depth, texture, and variety. The songs are solid and catchy, and the vocal delivery is well crafted. The lyrics and melodies are hooky and leave a lasting impression upon the listener. Fraser has done a remarkable job at carving out a niche for himself within his unique look, and amazing songs that he can call his own. Fraser and his music are really something special.

Despite all the positives, House on the Hill is not without its negatives. The overall recording quality, and mixing job is not up to par. From weird harmonies that lunge out at you, to drums that sound really awkward, to the overly saturated bass lines, to obscure sounding guitar recordings, and vocal levels that seem disproportional to the music. House on the Hill has all the trademarks of a “high-end” amateur musical production from start to finish. These flaws are especially evident whenever the full band kicks in, or whenever you get Fraser away from his solitary acoustical comfort zone. The drums stick out like a sore thumb and are to say the least painful to listen to. I’m not convinced some of these instruments were even recorded properly. In close I will say House on a Hill just sounds funny, and the mix is pretty much all over the place. It has much room for improvement in this area, and if done properly would no doubt render an amazing CD. It takes skill and engineering savvy to record, mix, and master a musical production to industry standards these days. I might add its 2009, so the bar is set rather high for independent artists like Fraser. As listeners we take a lot for granted as we listen to songs that are presented to us in this format day in and day out. It’s so true that you never notice a bad mix until you actually hear one. We’ve seen independent artists out there get this wrong year in and year out, regardless of how good their music is. Whoever is responsible for this did not set Fraser up for success, or do his music any justice. The mix is always a make or break for any production, unfortunately I have to say this one brought down the House on the Hill.

If this review seems lopsided, it’s merely in sharp contrast to the extremes presented on House on a Hill. I can honestly say I’ve never heard such good music presented in such an unsatisfactory manner. Given the talent factor of Fraser, and the scope of his songwriting craft and amazing vocal abilities, it’s equally as tragic. It’s quite unfortunate recordings like these will never reach their full potential, because they are in and of themselves amazing songs but for the record were officially released in 2008. If I could say anything to Fraser it would be – Surround yourself with professional engineers that can not only record, mix, and master your music properly, but give your fans a world class musical presentation they so rightfully deserve. Do this with the right amount of mass exposure and you will no doubt be the King of a Hill someday

My overall rating - 4 out of 7 masks.
 

Cyrus Rhodes - 3/24/09

KATAVI ARTS