Fraser Ross, from Ōtautahi, has a delightful, playful tenor that immediately puts you at your ease. I got a great vibe from the new single Cards, the forerunner to his pending album release in March, entitled Thunderhead.

Now this single is absolutely charming. It’s got a gentle, catchy melody that will draw you in. Backing vocals that will engender a smile as you find yourself absently swaying along before you ever realised he’d got you. The track was recorded between Massey School of Music, Wellington and Surgery Studios, also Wellington, mixed by Dr. Lee Prebble. Finally mastered by Mike Gibson at Munki.

It’s got some great, anchoring rhythm guitar strumming along in a folksie way. Chords are sweet, emotive and help the melody without leading it. It’s got a warm, full bottom end that fattens it to just the right level. Totally organic. There’s some lilting lead guitar that prompts me to ask if anyone has ever heard of Dream-Folk as a genre before? If not, Fraser Ross just invented it. A sweet combination of a clear vision from the writer, and cohesion and comprehension from the studio folk. Professionalism drips from every bar of this disarming, quality song.

From the EPK: At first listen Cards appears easy-going, but there’s an underlying lyrical melancholy as Fraser documents a summer of heartbreak in the ‘game’ of love. “Cards is about dealing with the loss of someone I could have gone ‘all in’ with,” reflects Fraser, “and how I’ll hopefully be better at playing future hands.”

I’d been wracking my aging brain for a term of reference with an artist that I could pit your expectations against. I find Fraser‘s tenor to be akin to George Harrison‘s performances with The Travelling Wilburys. Possibly as the orchestration and mix also make it sound like it wouldn’t be out of place as a Wilbury‘s number. Yeah. That’s what it makes me think of. It’s good, catchy, fun, a teensy bit ethereal, and very, very – as mentioned above – charming. I’ll add that Fraser can go into falsetto comfortably too, so yay for expanding the range!

I’d love to see this one put to video. I have no doubt it would be cheeky and a laugh in every frame, but there’d be that underlying melancholy of the subject material. In fact, now I think of it, the song as a cohesive entity, while all of the above meandering drivel of mine is still accurate, there IS a subtle melancholy to it. Very well played indeed, that man!

The tempo is nicely set so one could enjoy this on a walk or a run, while driving, entertaining around the barbie, round the pool, or just quietly in the company of your special someone. Time of day isn’t important. This is a great, commercially viable song that fits pop, AOR, country, folk, indie, and so forth. It’s on Fraser‘s Spotty Fly, and of course it’s on ours now too.

Unwind with Cards by Fraser Ross. Belter of a tune.