The Sultan of Suave has never exactly been known for exhibiting the sort of vibe the title of this disc implies -- and while
Frantic isn't exactly a super-caffeinated collection, it is Ferry's most iconoclastic album in ages. As he has on most of his solo discs, he trots out an intriguing collection of covers, highlighted here by languid renditions of a pair of Bob Dylan tunes ("It's All Over Now Baby Blue" and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright") and an appropriately mournful take on Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene." More intriguing, however, are the originals that he's conjured up this time around, which cover considerably more ground than Ferry's recent lounge-y discs, as evidenced by the dark-hued "Hiroshima," which features the guitar of
Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. Most of the new tunes -- such as the smoky, romantic "Cruel" -- were co-written with ex-Eurythmic
Dave Stewart, but Ferry reunites with his old
Roxy Music cohort Brian Eno for the haunting album closer, "I Thought." Yes, he's still kinda laid-back, but
Frantic proves that Bryan Ferry is a long way from being laid out.
