Hey Now, Morris Fader is a 2-man band out of Boston, and with Ride The Fader (the title being an apparent homage to the NY indie band Chavez' famous 90s disc of the same name, as well as their own name), they've managed to come up with one of the top piano-pop discs of the year. Ride The Fader will definitely appeal to fans of Jack's Mannequin, Frank Ciampi, and yes, that guy with the initials "B.F." who tends to get mentioned in every piano pop review.
Opener "Vanishing" sounds as if it come come from The Biography of Reinhold Messner, the initialed one's final band disc, with its pensive piano sound. "Airport Song" is a real delight, with a 70s vibe and some damn fine playing from frontman and pianist Brooks Milgate. Other standouts include the insistent "Down In Front", the upbeat and poptastic "Hypochondriac", which recalls fellow Bostonian Ciampi, and the jaunty "Talk to Myself". The common thread on all these songs is the workout Milgate gives his piano, and his technical ability reminds me quite a bit of Bruce Hornsby as well. If you ears are tickled by the tickling of ivories in support of quality pop tunes, you'll want to Ride The Fader.
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