Search - Aztec Camera :: Love / Stray

"In a Sentimental Mood"

paula b | surrey, england! | 09/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was actually looking to review Stray, but it was not available; Love is a good album, but I thought a bit too commercial, whilst Stray to me is an outstanding piece of work:
I love all the tracks, the title track (Stray) is so sensitive & gentle, & "song for a friend" is almost like a reprise.
"Good Morning Britain" i guess does sound a little dated, but the collaboration with Mick Jones was a treat for me as an old skool Clash fan. The songs are all politically & socially aware, interspersed with shameless romance - "The Gentle Kind" being the best & "over my head" showing Roddy's extensive skill as a musician - "Notting Hill Blues" sounding like the sequel to this track. "The Crying Scene" & "How it is" both have a similar sound but I like the melodic energy sound that Roddy does so well. Finally, maybe a sequel to "Good Morning Britain" - "Get Outta London" - a well put-together album with an important message!"

Roddy Frame At His Peak

Marshall Boswell | Memphis, TN USA | 04/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are two of the most disparate albums Aztec Camera ever made: Love is a superslick 80s pop and r&b record so neticulously produced it gleams, whereas Stray is a stripped down affair with a bigger rock sound and even a duet with Mick Jones of the Clash. But Frame's outstanding songwriting and his inventive, lush melodies form a common thread linking these two very different records. Stray in particularly contains two of Frame's best songs, the title cut and the Wes Montgomery tribute "Over My Head.""