After enjoying some time in the spotlight with February’s acclaimed LP 1000 Variations on the Same Song, NYC’s Frog have announced yet another full-length record, and not a moment too soon. The barely awaited but much anticipated follow-up, titled THE COUNT, is due for release on September 19, 2025. To promote this record, the trusty trio of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Bateman, drummer/percussionist/brother Steve Bateman, and bassist Thomas White have graced us with this new single, titled/stylized “BITTEN BY MY LOVE VAR. XI.”
Clocking in at exactly six minutes in length, the song glacially traverses a sparse sonic terrain established by the ever-steady rhythm section, slowly taking form as an eerie, organ-led rumination on a cryptic, nocturnal love. Transylvanian themes dominate, both in the macabre sound of the composition and in Bateman’s left-of-center lyrics—sample snippet: “And babe you know it’s crazy I don’t see you that often / All I wanna do is take you back to my coffin.” Falsetto vocals abound, punctuated briefly and sporadically by sharp piano chords, while bass and drums shuffle confidently along, lending a woozy R&B feel to the proceedings. As the song careens to a close, Bateman wails:
Do you wanna be famous?
Do you want to come with me and be?
Do you want the attention?
Did I mention, I got that new suspension
Given Frog’s penchant for offbeat humor and sardonic wit, one can’t help but take it as an ironic offer; yet, it’s delivered with the kind of self-effacing sincerity that only a songwriter like Bateman can effectively muster. “BITTEN BY MY LOVE VAR. XI” showcases the band performing in an idiom decidedly distant from their alt-country roots, but they are firing on all cylinders nevertheless. With a group this consistent and creative (and consistently creative), one must be ready for just about anything, but one can also be confident that they will not disappoint. If this is any indication of the complete product we’ll be seeing later on in September, then THE COUNT is indeed something to anticipate with zeal.
Written by Jacob Simons
