The Missing Frets - Pipe Dreams

The Missing Frets

Pipe Dreams
self-released; 2020

3.9 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

The Missing Frets meld elements of alternative, rock  and African rockabilly. The concept of  the band was inspired by songwriter/guitarist Shaun Lovell and back in 2013 he got to work with with bassist Bindu Lovell. The energetic drummer Johnny Martin joined the band in 2016 after the duo relocated from South Africa making Philly their home base. The band recently released Pipe Dreams which is a five-song EP.

The EP starts with “Bodhi Tree” which might be the highlight in the batch. I liked the vibe right off the bat which was calming, serene and just a little haunting. That being said the song picks up some energy and I found the chorus to be very catchy. The vocals sounded great and I thought the tones and textures were unique.

Next up is “Hole in the Soul'' which is a little more straightforward in some ways but by this song I was digging their signature sound. It reminded me of the band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah mixed with Talking Heads. It is danceable but also very indie rock in a number of ways.

They continue with “Red Ballon” and here we get into reggae mode with the sort of classic upward strumming from the guitarist and a walking bass line. This song felt very mellow and a good choice to have midway through the EP. They go more into rock mode with “Hate Street Dialogue” while the closer “Red Eye Flight” is a fun one and has a hopeful and optimistic vibe.

The music was great but I didn’t get many surprises, good or bad. I think the main selling point for me was the unique aesthetics of the vocalist which really seemed to define their sound. The recordings were a tad on the lo-fi side but you could argue that was some of the charm.

​Overall, this was an enjoyable EP that was consistently impressive. Take a listen.

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