Finally, today, on Friday, September 19, 2025, NYC darlings Frog have released their widely anticipated new long player, THE COUNT, to all ears and audiences worldwide. Stepping away from their established alternative country–leaning sound while retaining every ounce of their charm and ingenuity, Frog proves with THE COUNT that creative risks can pay off, revealing just another facet to their fresh, intuitive approach to music-making.
I’ve written about the three promotional singles from this record already—each unearthed on a Friday leading up to this release—and have found their sound and wit quickly growing on me, hence why I was eager to take on the album as well. I recall hearing their name from their acclaimed previous LP, 1000 Variations on the Same Song, released on February 14, 2025. This was in the midst of a promotional cycle for my own band’s (then) new record, released just over a week prior; as such, I regretfully missed their release at the time. Between then and now, I’ve managed to catch up with their back catalog—which is quite impressive given the band’s modest approach—and have been richly rewarded with more context going into THE COUNT.
Frog’s general sound is difficult to describe, which is half the reason they’re so intriguing. On this record, a lengthy liner essay details the story of the titular Count, who serves as a tangible central character informing and inhabiting these curious, adventurous songs. The band currently consists of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Bateman, drummer (and brother) Steve Bateman, and bassist Thomas White. They play into the minimal element of the power trio format, eschewing extended guitar solos or extraneous effects to lock in as a unified rhythm section. Daniel Bateman mostly sticks to the piano and organ here—embodying the Count character detailed above—punctuating his half-whimsical-half-sentimental lyrical turns with liberally employed falsetto vocals. White and Steve Bateman are downright funky at times (see: “BITTEN BY MY LOVE VAR. XI” especially), completely attuned to one another’s natural rhythms. While Daniel Bateman is ostensibly the songwriter, this is clearly a band of equals, expressed by way of their excellent ensemble playing.
Again, I struggle to describe their sound, and this can only be a good sign to me. “MARIAH VAR. XVII” could almost be a piece of a rock opera, like how Queen might sound if they’d been Stooges fans. “CHELSEA PIERS VAR. XVIII” and “WITH ANOTHER GUY VAR. XX” recall the Replacements in their shambolic, barely sustained performances, threatening to fall apart under the strain at any moment. Perhaps the closest tangible comparison that comes to mind is the Meat Puppets—the brothers-in-a-band synchronicity helps—fellow country-fried punks who seem to revel in challenging their audiences with sudden variations in style.
The fact of the matter is that Frog is about as close to original as it gets within the current sphere of indie rock. On THE COUNT, they are by turns engaging, cryptic, funny, sad, casual, deadly serious, self-mythologizing, and genuine, and it should take very little effort on the listener’s part to see that this is a record and a band worth getting to know. I hope that they continue to avoid easy categorization and subvert expectations. By all appearances, their creativity seems boundless, and their music is truly a breath of fresh air in these odd and uncertain times.
Written by Jacob Simons
