Album Review: Shelter

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Will Frost is a new, young artist from Christchurch and Shelter, his debut album, was launched as part of New Zealand Music Month. According to Will’s website, Shelter “is a mixture of powerful ballads, folky acoustic sounds and lyrical, wistful songs, which cross effortlessly between a rich full tone and a yodeling falsetto.” Sometimes the internet fakes the truth, but in the case of Will Frost, they have hit the nail on the head. Shelter is a fantastic album.

The first song on the album has the most impact and is a wonderful way to start a music career. It’s Time is written about rebuilding Christchurch following the devastating earthquakes and it really pulls your heartstrings. With minimal backing instruments, a theme which continues across the album, It’s Time is raw and beautiful and reminds you of the struggles in Christchurch. It’s a song which comes from the heart; Will’s website explains he has spent his whole life in Christchurch and you can feel his love for the city in this song. It’s no surprise this song was a finalist in the 2012 Festival of Flowers Song Writing Competition.

This raw sound continues throughout the album. Will takes a turn with love, with the songs Eternal and Clarity. Despite only being a teenager, Will manages to nail wistful lyrics and packs a lot of emotion into his songs, as seen in my favourite song off the album, One in Five. The tempo kicks up with songs Shelter and The Hero and His Friends in the right place to keep the attention of the listener slipping. These songs mix in nicely with the slower songs without losing any impact.

What I love about this album is the simplistic nature. There are no huge instrumentals overpowering the lyrical meaning; rather the right amount of accompanying instruments to give it the added effect, with an awesome alto saxophone inclusion in Number Nine. With this minimalism it would be easy for this album to become repetitive, but effortless mixes of fast and slow, wistful and impacting keep you listening. Will has a unique, distinctive voice which ranges in pitch and pace throughout the album, and more than a few strong notes come through.

I think this album is fantastic. And, considering I spend most of my time buried in the rock music styles of Bon Jovi and Foo Fighters, this is a big statement. This is the album I want to put on after a long day, a summery afternoon, a cosy winter night, or indeed, anytime, anyplace, for anyone. It’s slick, it’s professional, it’s comforting, and it’s the sound New Zealand needs to hear more of.