Fred Thomas "Changer"
There can’t be anything left to say about Fred Thomas that hasn’t been said a hundred times already, even by me in blurb form. From his Saturday Looks Good To Me releases, to his self-titled solo stuff, the man is ultra-prolific. Which is why it’s so shocking that every time a new Fred Thomas record comes in the office braces itself for Pete’s excited yelps. But he has reason to be excited, because as prolific as Fred is, is as good as he is, and Changer (Polyvinyl) does nothing to change that fact. Frankly, this album sees Fred stretching out in ways that will only be familiar to the most devout of Thomas-heads. Take, for instance, the arpeggiated synth harps and Beck beats running headfirst into the Portisehead majesty of “Echolocation.”