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cHoclat FRoG — Snapshot
(Bandcamp no#, 2021, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2022-05-19

Snapshot Cover art

From listening to Snapshot, a listener would never guess that cHoclat FRoG is actually just a duo. Rainer Ludwig handles vocals, drums, and keyboards while Tim Ludwig plays bass and guitar. The tracks are mostly built around rhythmic patterns on drums and bass which venture into odd meters, but also have elements of funk and punk rock. Use of guitars varies from track to track and includes clean jazzy chords, overdriven thrashing, and wild soloing. Keyboards sometimes feature bleating chords, sometimes wobbly melodies, and sometimes even piano. Ludwig’s vocals are spoken or shouted for the most part and usually include multiple parts that answer and play off of each other. “She’s a man, he’s a woman — OK, I don’t care! Vegetarism, veganism, carnivore, omnivore — eat whatever you want! Steaks are growing on trees, sausages in the sand. Climate is a global thing — believe it or let it be.” The lyrics are almost all in English, though it sounds like much of one track is in perhaps Portuguese, and there are snippets of German and French as well. At first the vocals kind of put me off enjoying the cleverness of the instrumental parts, but I became accustomed to them after a few listens. The eleven tracks are titled “Part I” through “Part XI,” and each has a subtitle that relates to the words. There’s quite a bit of variance in sound, though there’s enough commonality between the tracks that it’s all clearly the same band. cHoclat FRoG presents a distinctive take on modern rock — I’m not going to waste time wondering about whether the word “progressive” applies. The music is tricky, quirky, and entertaining, and that’s enough for me.

Filed under: New releases, 2021 releases

Related artist(s): cHoclat FRoG

More info
http://choclatfrog.bandcamp.com/album/snapshot

 

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