I’m tempted to call Nick Frater a musical prodigy, but with Oh Contraire!—out today on Think Like a Key Music—being his twelfth album, that ship has probably sailed. What always stands out, though, is his versatility and his knack for making songs sound like lost pop hits from the golden days of their influences—not unlike The Lemon Twigs, although they differ in their inspirations.

Impressively, Frater does most of the heavy lifting himself. Written, performed, recorded, mixed, and produced by Frater is one hell of a credit for a record this dense and accomplished. Sophisto-pop is a strong descriptor for the material, and while it’s a bit more polished than my usual fare, the musicianship and craftsmanship are undeniable. And that power pop sequence in the first half of the record (My Heart’s In Stereo, I Know You Know I Know, and Song For The One-Eyed City) is hard to resist.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp