Jonathan Richman :: Only Frozen Sky Anyway
Photo: Driely S
When you hear the vibrant voice and the gesturing genius that’s Jonathan Michael Richman, especially anything and everything new coming from his iconic institution of intimate intensity, it gets the brain all excited and feverishly fuzzy to see if he’s performing in a town or city nearby. You want to be in his poetic presence as his lyrical lips simultaneously transport you to a time and place that is atmospherically ancient, and aromatically almighty. A melodically motivated force that would make even Rembrandt roll over in his grave, Richman is more than just a songwriter or spiritual soothsayer. His critical connection to the past is rare and romantic, as he blends the monumental melodies that make the world a better place with each strum and each holy hum. With a career spanning several landscapes and unbelievable universes over the last half-century, the lyrical legend plants his front foot forward and dances the dangerous jive of juxtaposition like no other. With his longtime partner in crime, percussionist and secret weapon Tommy Larkins, the duo returns with brand new material since 2021’s “Want To Visit My Inner House?” and 2023’s “Cold Pizza & Other Hot Stuff EP” with the long-awaited follow-up LP “Only Frozen Sky Anyway.” Released on the Fourth of July on the Cleveland, Ohio-based label and record store, Blue Arrow Records, what better time to celebrate something that truly brings people together without the deadly details, ridiculous notions, and idiotic ideologies we find ourselves constantly screaming, and effortlessly echoing into the deaf ears of eternity. Richman’s intense intelligence is comically clever, poetically patient, and iconically inspiring as he delivers yet another gorgeous batch of songs.
Photo: Driely S
Blending the imagination of individual listening, the album’s core is rooted in ritualistic rhythms, Richman’s expected excitement that exhales into a vulnerable void, and a captivating connection with longtime bandmate and collaborator Jerry Harrison of the Modern Lovers and Talking Heads fame. Calling on talents such as Lynn Asher, Tracy Blackman, Aishlin Harrison, Nicole Montalbano, Mauro Vacca, and several others to help bring the melodic magic to an all-time high, the veteran songwriter sonically surfs the salty stratosphere with quick wit and radical response to the heart for his adoring fans. Recorded at The Mountain Studio in Marin, California, with guidance from legendary engineer Karl Derfler of such notable acts as Roky Erickson, Tom Waits, The Verve Pipe, and Dave Matthews Band, to name a few, Richman’s ear for overall detail, and just who he calls on, is just as important as transcendental tones he carefully conjures within the songs sophisticated structures. With the album’s haunting hallways, where ancient light flickers against the soft stone that makes up the castle’s cold walls, lurk the community chants of friendly faces, and complex characters of the nocturnal night offering wine, cheeses, and various fruits from the frivolous future. With songs like “Se Va Pa'volver,” “Little Black Bat,” “The Wavelet,” and “But We Might Try Weird Stuff” foaming around the earthly edges of the ocean’s independence, Richman summons his singing shadow once again to fill the empty cups of society just as he always has with brimming brilliance.
