Australian singer and guitarist
Martin Frawley first broke onto the global indie radar as one of the co-frontpeople of Melbourne jangle pop quartet
Twerps. The band's melodic and slightly ramshackle Flying Nun-inspired indie pop won over both fans and critics, leading to international tours and a 2015 sophomore LP released by established American imprint Merge Records. When the romantic side of
Frawley's creative partnership with
Twerps bandmate Julia McFarlane hit the rocks, their ensuing breakup also ended the band. On
Undone at 31,
Frawley's first outing as a solo artist, he sorts through the wreckage and manages to spin his personal upheaval into a rather charming collection of low-key pop gems. With the help of producer Stewart Bronaugh (
Angel Olsen,
Lionlimb), he constructs an appealingly minimalist home around 12 searching missives that play out the various stages of heartbreak, melancholia, and acceptance. Instrumentally, most of the arrangements revolve around a simple quartet of guitar, piano, bass, and drums, with the rhythm section (particularly the bass) mixed to surprisingly robustness.
Frawley's sung/spoken
Lou Reed-ian drawl benefits from some space around it and two of
Undone's brightest spots come with plenty of it. Opener "You Want Me?" takes a sprightly "Walk on the Wild Side" cadence, relying on little more than its author's keen storytelling and a mix of picked bass, acoustic guitar, and a nifty piano melody. Likewise, the excellent "Something About Me" utilizes an electric piano, picked bass, and burbling synth mix to great effect, benefitting also from a sweet violin lead. Elsewhere, songs like the tense "What's on Your Mind" and the urgently melodic "Chain Reaction" keep things moving with quicker tempos and sharp observations on some of the perils of coupleship. Rather than a mundane breakup album rife with familiar tropes,
Frawley channels his distress into a unique and engaging album that is easy to spend some time with. ~ Timothy Monger