Artist : Stephen Fretwell
Album : Man On The Roof
Label : Fiction / Polydor
Genre : Indie
Bitrate : 185 kbps avg
Source : CD (LP)
Playtime : 00:46:22 (65.5MB)
Rls date : 2007-08-29
Store date : 2007-09-10
[Track List]
1. Coney 3:06
2. Darlin' Don't 2:46
3. She 3:18
4. Dead 2:27
5. Funny Hat 2:43
6. Bumper Cars 3:23
7. Scar 3:12
8. The Scheme 3:42
9. Now 3:15
10.Sleep 3:28
11.The Ground Beneath Your Feet 4:14
12.Saturday 1:24
13.San Francisco Blues 4:27
14.William Shatner's Dog 4:57
Stephen Fretwell's gold-selling debut, Magpie, still
stands as the 21st century's best singer-songriter disc
from these shores... Well, maybe until now. Man On The
Roof is devastatingly great, showing the kind of maturity
that listeners of Magpie wouldn't have dared dream was
possible on top of that disc's all-round excellence. With
his voice drifting closer to Chris Martin than the Yorkshire
Manc of before, and a comfortable (comfortably outstanding)
band behind, the songs, perhaps showing the benefit of a
longer-than-expected gestation, live in their perfect
manifestation - they don't need covering by anyone else
to see their best. With an ease that Oasis, Stereophonics
and Coldplay would love in their quieter, acoustic, songs,
Fretwell gives the lie to the idea that, after a while, all
singer-songwriters sound the same.
The lyrics are real, warmly humorous and rich in observation.
A song like The Ground Beneath Your Feet would have fitted,
and shone, on Blonde on Blonde. Yet it's on the songs like
William Shatner's Dog, the Waits'y opener Coney or the Nick
Cave-like Saturday that Fretwell hints at his extra range -
there isn't a weak moment anywhere. This disc single-handedly
stops you caring about the Blunt mediocrity elsewhere.
Essential purchase.
Stephen Fretwell (born November 10, 1981) is an English
singer-songwriter from Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.
Stephen attended St. Augustine Webster Primary School in
Scunthorpe and St. Bede's Catholic School in Ashby before
furthering his study at John Leggott College - It was
here that he started his first band 'Label'.
Fretwell is a keen fan of bands of the Brit-pop era, such
as Oasis, Blur, The Bluetones, Radiohead, and Suede.
During this period he formed a band; in order to
demonstrate his talent to a wider audience.
After moving to Salford in the autumn of 2000 Stephen
started to gain recognition for his music. He earned
notice from magazines such as NME, Q Magazine. During
this period songs such as Emily and WhatÆs That You
Say Little Girl? were first written.
Fretwell decided to stay in Manchester permanently,
later releasing 8 Songs which he put out on Northern
Ambition, a label owned by a friend. Fretwell later
described it as 'The one I did to prove to myself I
could put out one proper record'.
Fretwell left university after only one year, discovering
that education wasnÆt for him at this time, after all heÆd
only managed to attend two lectures. With this he picked
up his guitar and started to perform at local acoustic
nights in the Manchester area. The first of these nights
being at The Roadhouse, a venue that lay in the centre of
ManchesterÆs Northern Quarter. That night Fretwell impressed
a restless and hard to please crowd with his performance.
He later released the Something's Got to Give EP and The
Lines, both self-financed. On back of his growing stature
and reputation, Fretwell was invited to support bands such
as Travis, Elbow, Athlete, Keane and KT Tunstall.
His debut album Magpie, was released in November 2004. The
first single taken from the album was "Run" and was
subsequently followed by "Emily" which was in the Top 10
airplayed songs[citation needed]. His last single was "Four
Letter Words EP".
He is known for his curly mop of ginger hair, sombre lyrics
and gravelly deep voice. He names his main influence as Bob
Dylan. His songs are derivative of Dylan's work, and he learnt
to play guitar by playing Dylan's songs on his grandfather's
old, unused guitar.
He was described by Q Magazine as 'Scunthorpe's finest
export... ever'. The Times magazine said 'Not in your face
but in your heart? Yes'. He is signed to Fiction Records and
recorded his album at the Abbey Road Studios.
He supported Oasis at Marley Park in Dublin on Saturday
July 16, 2005.
His song 'Bad Bad You, Bad Bad Me' was featured in the pilot
episode of Dirt, starring Courtney Cox
Featured musicians on "Something's Got To Give" EP, "The Lines"
EP and "Magpie" LP are JAY SIKORA (Drums - who also produced
and played on "8 Songs"), MATT WATSON (Piano / Keys) and JONNY
LEXUS (Bass Guitar).
"Run" is currently used as the theme tune for the BBC3 Comedy,
"Gavin and Stacey".
His new single is called "Scar" and will be released on 3rd
September 2007, with the new album, "Man On The Roof" released
on 10th September 2007.