Greetings,
I recently did a post about the wonderful cast of The Bold and the Beautiful and how grossly underrated they are. Within that, I spoke of a woman named Adrienne Frantz and her album, Anomaly. I mentioned that I was going to review it, and I will do so now.
A little back story. As I had said, when I first saw Adrienne on The Bold and the Beautiful, I wasn't all that crazy about her. Well, I suppose that feeling was directed more toward her character, and when you know nothing about the real person, the two tend to meld. Eventually, I had some exposure to her in the real world, and I began to like her. So much so, that, when I heard she had made an album, I went out and got it. Now I had heard her sing on the show and liked her voice. It was quite different from anything I had ever heard, so I was intrigued. Of course, a good voice does not mean one will record a good album, but once I had a listen, I see I need not have worried.
Anomaly was released in 2007, and it is (I have to use this word again) brilliant. I suppose it would be put into the pop category, but if we must do that, I would have to say it's more like high end pop. It has some sophisticated melodies and well-crafted, personal lyrics, but still with some moments of pure fun sprinkled in there. And Adrienne's unique voice is perfectly suited for each song. Speaking of which - the songs. Let me tell you about some of them.
We start with "Halfway", a song that has a bit of a mellow mood but is actually about empowering oneself in their relationship and asking for unwavering support from their partner. That leads into "Giving Me Names", the oldest living song on the album and my favorite. It's another slow song, but as it progresses, the chorus is infused with just a dash of epicness without overdoing it. Now we really hit that pop area with the third song, "Taken", due to the catchy melody and the subject of - let's just say it!- boyfriend thievery fantasies. Yeah, that's right. And if you hear the story behind it, there is also a touch of humor. According to Adrienne, drunk dialing is involved.
Those three songs are a strong start to this very well-balanced album. Adrienne takes us through a lot of emotions here, both personal and universal. There is a touching song called "Seren", which spawned from a letter she wrote to her baby goddaughter during a difficult time. Then we have "Wide Awake". Adrienne has actually referred to this as the meanest song she ever wrote. Oh, and she got one of the melodies when her cat walked across the piano keys, so we have to give a little credit to one Miss Cuddles Patricia. For real, she middle names her cats. She is a young, gorgeous, married woman who middle names her cats. Way to take the cat lady stereotype and toss it from a tenth story window. Look, I may poke fun at her for the naming thing, but I'm certainly not judging her for getting her song ideas from unexpected places. I mean, the Bee Gees got the sound of "Jive Talkin'" by driving over a bridge, so she's in legendary company. I also should mention the song "Getaway". Not only because it is a fantastic song and another of my favorites, but because there's a video of it on YouTube. So if you want to get a taste of this album, you can get it there.
So while Adrienne Frantz is underrated as an actress along with her fellow B&B-ers, she is also underrated as a musician. This wonderful woman should be a Grammy-winning, interviewed by Rolling Stone, fixture on Entertainment Tonight superstar. But of course, she is too talented for that. She does get props from those of us who have taken the time to get to know her and her music, and I'm sure she is appreciative. Still, if there is justice in this world, she will eventually be recognized for her great talent. With this review, I, for one, am trying to do my part. I hope it works.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
