Cut the words up like Burroughs did. They didn't
make sense to begin with so why not arrange them in the shape of
a fingerprint.
Most comfortable drawing on the influences of Elliott Smith,
Nick Drake, The Beatles and Syd Barrett, Frankel crafts a unique
blend of Lithium-pop. These are a few of many ingredients that
create something lucid but dreamy. It's not far off from Grandfather's
heirloom that's waiting to die at a Saturday garage sale. A steal
at double the price but don't let anybody know what you paid for
it. They might take it away. Songs that hang from their toes in
a New York freezer only to be thawed out in melodies burned with
California shine.
These are confessions off an introverted exhibitionist who enjoys
long walks on a short pier.
Reviews for Chatterbox
EP :
"Elliott Smith and Jon Brion are the names that
the critics have been throwing around for comparison purposes,
and I can't disagree - the string-laden "The Great Unknown"
would have fit right in on Smith's posthumous From a Basement
on the Hill." - Absolute Powerpop
"All in all, the EP has that kind of autumn day moody genius
about. I'm not going to lie to you though, it's pretty emo. Which
is why it may force you to overcome the denial and confront your
emo-hating self and say 'I guess we all have a little emo in us,
and that's OK. I mean, it sounds pretty good.' " - 4 out
of 5 - Sean Gaffney, The Owl Mag
"This is just a 6 song EP, but the initial taste test is
definitely a positive one. Looking forward to hearing any of Frankel’s
new stuff…" - Pale Bear
"Perfect for falling asleep to, the calming tracks on Frankel’s
EP Chatterbox feel like a big hug." - Columbia Spectator
"The most unique and fulfilling moments on Chatterbox huddle
together on the spectacular final track, All Satellites, where
Frankel reaches a soft and often stunning harmonic movement all
his own – a difficult feat and rare treat."
- Ari Messer, Edge
"...the sky is the limit for this budding singer/songwriter."
- Walton Murphy, The Maneater
"...the melodies are bold, the arrangements are tidy and
the sheen is new, making for a consistently enjoyable six-song
debut." 8/10 - Lorraine Carpenter, Montreal Mirror
"If these 6 songs (plus a bonus tacked on - the medicated
closer) ever get their Chuck Taylors in the door at one of your
larger print outlets, I'd wager the lot that an honest 'buzz'
would put Michael Orendy on the tips of many a tongue." -
SCTAS
"If I Heart Huckabees 2 ever gets a greenlight, Los Angeles
singer-songwriter Frankel already has half of the soundtrack here
in six dreamy slow-pop concoctions nearly equal to Jon Brion’s
heart-tugging backdrops." 3.5 out of 4
- Bill Frost, Salt Lake City Weekly
"Much of this material is blessed with a genuinely engaging
sense of melody and highly developed arrangements. Although there
are occasional whiffs of Iron & Wine's organic approach, Frankel
expands his sound beautifully..."
- Jim Abbott, Orlando Sentinel
"...it’s his vocal dynamic that makes this EP so intriguing—you
won’t find many other artists out there that perfectly capture
what this whole singer/songwriter thing is supposed to be about
better than Frankel." - Smother.net, Editor's Pick
"Frankel is the solo recording project of L.A. resident
Michael Orendy. He plays and records everything himself, but this
isn't lo-fi 4-trackery—these recordings are quite polished,
so Orendy must have a pretty spiffy setup. Orendy is a skilled
student of classic popcraft, building his songs from a base of
vintage acoustic guitar and his breathy vocals." - Copacetic
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Chatterbox EP