Creator Anton Pieck didn’t want straight roads in the Fairytale Forest in Dutch amusement park Efteling, because behind every crooked bend he could provide visitors with another surprise. Lap One could be the musical equivalent of that great premise. We’re talking about the eclectic debut album from Northern California-based HOT LAP, a solo project by singer-songwriter Morgan Friberg featuring home recordings stemming from the downtime of a corporate hiatus, inspired by his family life. We should probably file this under indie pop, but you also get classical music (Naka Taka’s Nocturne Intro), near-instrumentals that are catchy (Cha Cha Cha), cinematic (Wurli Seventy Nine), bluesy (Tamahawk Blues) or folky (Who’s Nick Drake?), and an annoying nursery rhyme (Wakey Wakey). Quirky and atmospheric. Who wouldn’t want a dad like this in the house?
Lap One, mastered by JJ Golden, is out now digitally (self-released). All songs are written, recorded, mixed and produced by Morgan Friberg.
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