2 Of A Perfect Pair: @TheFrankMusik’s Between Us and Between

FRANKMUSIK  Between Us

No sooner than his album Between was released this past Spring, FrankMusik was already planning to issue an acoustic version called Between Us.  It saw release last week, and the prolific singer/songwriter/everything guy has created the perfect vocal-and-piano flipside to the EDM emotional rollercoaster of the original album.  That’s not to say that there’s any less emotion in these stripped down versions, in fact the emotional basis of the songs is in many cases quite heightened.  But we also hear what songs perhaps fit better as dance revelations, while others do fare better with just voice and piano.  And some are clearly fine in both versions.

In fact, I like “Map” and “Captain” as much as I do the originals.  With “Map”, it aches with sadness in this rendition, while “Captain” is still a storm of a slightly different bent.  “Cake” seems to be a much more obviously angry song stripped of its frenetic production, and I definitely connect better with “Pins and Needles” in its Between Us version.  “Did Love” becomes less of a big production number and more of a solo climactic point.  “Thank You” is arguably the most heartfelt song on the record.  And there’s a new song that could easily generate some tears.  “Hymn” is a “hymn” as much about “him” (the Other Guy) as it is about his ex.  Even if you’ve never been in that kind of messy situation, the song is a piece of storytelling bar none and should be heard (below).

Kudos to Vincent Frank for laying most of his emotional cards on the table for us to hear in 2013, along with some Between States USA shows this past summer (with what I hope will be more to come) and undoubtedly more projects up his creative sleeves.  As a bonus treat, take a listen to FrankMusik’s lovely electronic cover of The Beatles’ “From Me To You” below.