Only a week after the release of “BITTEN BY MY LOVE VAR. XI,” the leading single from their upcoming LP THE COUNT, NYC’s Frog are back with yet another teaser. This single, titled “SPANISH ARMADA VAR. XV,” is decidedly both less funky and moody than its predecessor, suggesting a brief return to the band’s alt-country-by-way-of-kitchen-sink roots. Frog leader Daniel Bateman’s penchant for hooks is on full display here, singing the earworm chorus in his trademark falsetto while a lazily strummed acoustic guitar and bumbling piano fill out the song’s melodic core. Impressionistic lyrics are woven throughout, telling a story that’s not quite romantic nor totally historic, yet somehow capturing the visage of each at once.
The gentlemen of Frog seem to be in the habit of releasing a new single each Friday in anticipation of THE COUNT’s release, currently slated for September 19. If this is true, then could we possibly be seeing another before the proverbial ribbon-cutting? At any rate, these are songs that will stick with the listener, holding up just as well as individuals without the context of the others.
Written by Jacob Simons
