Donavon Frankenreiter - Recycled Recipes (Lost Highway)

If I have one complaint about the latest offering from bearded Californian surfie Donavon Frankenreiter, it's that it is too short.

This is really an EP, featuring just six tracks - Wondering Where The Lions Are, Theologians, Such A Night, Fortunate Son, It Makes No Difference and Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - so you are left wanting more.

And not just more songs, but for Frankenreiter to actually do a bit more with the tracks he covers.

Frankenreiter - who, unlike many of the old-school surf-rockers, knows his way around a wave as well as he does a fret-board - easily transmits his laid-back feeling in the tracks.

But he does nothing revolutionary with them.

As the title suggests he is doing covers from some big names - Bruce Cockburn, Wilco, Dr John, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Band and Bob Dylan.

My favourite is his take on Dylan's classic Don't Think Twice, It's Alright. With one of the more original voices on the acoustic-rock scene, Frankenreiter does some justice to the track - probably because unlike Dylan he can actually sing. It is, however, slightly unnerving to hear it sung his way - perhaps it is too sweet.

The sweetness probably sums up the album: nice and easy to listen to but no vital new takes these six rock classics.

Rating: 3/5

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