Pipeline Magazine’s Album of the Year- Spin the Bottle

Pipeline Magazine announces Album of the Year 2018

Frankie & the Pool Boys

"Spin the Bottle"

Of course, we are flattered and amazed to be selected. There were many excellent surf music releases this year, so we had lots of competition, though they are all our friends, so I hope we are inspiring each other to do our best work. 

There are only two fanzines that review surf music now– Pipeline and The Continental, which won't review our stuff because it's run by our label, Double Crown Records. (I do salute Sean Berry for his journalistic integrity!) Pipeline has been publishing for ever, I think four issues a year, so at #109, that's 27 years(?) at least. So, thank you to Dave Burke and Alan Taylor for the honor!

The band members must be recognized for their commitment to recording. Building the 20 songs took about three years. Each song went through a long process of refinement before we felt they were ready. Jonathan Rodriguez, Abraham Aguilar, Jono Jones and Karen Dobronyi. What a team!

Then our producer Dusty Watson made his thoughts known and really tightened our screws. Gary Mankin did a fantastic job recording and mixing, and Gary Hobish mastered us to satisfaction.The incredible Fred Lammers came up with images that perfectly captured our tone. Sean at Double Crown put the CD out and handles distribution. Then we took the show on the road with tour management support from Lorenzo Valdambrini, Vincent Minervino and Magdalena O'Connell, Jeff Hanson and all the club promoters. Thanks to all! - Ferenc

Here's the text of Pipeline's review in issue #109:

Spin The Bottle is Frankie & The Pool boys' third album on Double Crown and is a full hour's worth of music featuring 20 tracks. That's 14 new originals, plus two covers and four vocal versions. Fear not instrumental fans as the vocals are sequenced together after the 16 instrumentals so you can always bail out early if you wish.

Eschewing their earlier approach with numerous guest players, this time the Pool Boys cut all the instrumental tracks over one weekend with just the five members plus the legendary Dusty Watson producing. A front line of two guitars and organ facilitates both a wide range of sounds and some excellent arrangements, as guitarist Ferenc Dobronyi says: "There are fast ones, slow ones, some groovers, some art, some dopey stuff..." Well, I wouldn't go so far as dopey but there certainly is plenty of variety. What is quite remarkable, however, is just how approachable these original works are. Despite their substance, it's easy to get into them on first play, and they hold your attention, too. With such classy compositions and nothing reaching the four minute mark this is a rare example of an album you'll want to listen to all they way through, track by track, without skipping a single note.

Seafoam Angels sets the bar high with organ augmenting the lead guitar on this proud, uptempo melody. Poser is a snappy beater that's built over damped reverb picking, an effect which features even more on Tan Line Fever - a surf instrumental to treasure for sure. El Valenciano has a fast-flying double-picked melody, and organ leads of The Surf Coaster's Magic River with it's Bo Didley beat. With it's great cascading rhythm The Wet Season has a lead reminiscent of Davie Allan, only without his fuzz box) and on Fast Loud Hard too, this is a real screamer that drills its way into your head - in a nice way of course.

Hand 'em High is most tastefully delivered in the Booker T arrangement, and while Kill Devil Club is the only track that comes close to dopey it is rescued by its guitar sounds. In fact the array of guitar sounds helps maintain the interest throughout, especially on the expressive mid-tempo ballad Summer Cold with much feel in its playing and fine arrangement. Tumbling drums underpin the descriptive lead of Raise Hell and the instrumentals end with a blast as Pool Boy Stomp takes us all out with guns blazing. The four vocals follow, but don't miss Summer Cold featuring Kayla Fowler which is luxuriously sensuous with an exquisite guitar solo. Highly recommended.  Alan Taylor