Roddy Frame - Seven Dials

As the teenage wunderkind fronting Aztec Camera (signed to legendary Glasgow label Postcard and later Rough Trade). Frame was responsible for pop gems such as ‘Oblivious’, ‘Walk Out To Winter’ and ‘Somewhere In My Heart’. The band folded 20 years ago and his solo output has been sporadic. However, Frame’s first album in eight years is chock-full of well turned-out melodies and intelligent lyrics and is sure to appeal to long-time fans.
The Postcard stable was, of course, influenced by the melodic sounds and textures of West Coast outfits such as The Byrds and Love. On the gloriously jangly ‘Postcard’, Frame acknowledges this by referencing Fleetwood Mac: “From San Francisco to Sausalito, where they started Rumours.” The soaring vocal harmonies on the chorus, too, are a dead ringer for parts of the Eagles’ ‘One Of These Nights’.
Elsewhere, ‘Rear View Mirror’ boasts a Bossa Nova rhythm, the sparkling, power-pop tune ‘Into The Sun’ could pass muster as an Aztec Camera classic and the romantic ballad ‘The Other Side’ is a definite highlight – and as good a song as Frame has penned. Excellent stuff.

Out now.