The Frank & Walters have been hit by a fashion crisis, i.e. they're out of fashion with the UK music press. It's a bit of a pity, because back in 1993, when they were gracing the cover of NME and having Top Twenty hits with After All and This Is Not A Song, the Cork trio were probably only having a laugh. Now that they've gotten serious and shed the bright orange tee-shirts, the critics don't seem to want to know.
The Franks have taken a bit long to get back in the fray and the Britpop brigade treats them as yesterday's clowns, but they could still count on their Irish audience to come out to Midnight At The Olympia last Friday and hear songs from the much-delayed new album, Grand Parade. But first, a refresher course was provided via Walter's Trip, reminding us just how utterly bonkers the young Frank & Walters used to be. In contrast, Saturday Night is positively mature, and the difference in the songwriting is as plain as a newly-grown moustache.
Technically, however, The Franks are still lagging behind, and the catchy, melodic style of the songs is often undermined by instrumental underachievement. The band were also dogged by technical problems, like Paul Linehan's bassline suddenly breaking off during Daisy Chain, and the tipsy atmosphere of late-night Olympia seemed unsuited to their tightly-wound pop.
