Max Frost Shares Shelby Ave, Pt. 1
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Max Frost picked up a guitar at eight years old and hasn't looked back since. His journey into the limelight began with the viral success of his tracks "White Lies" and "Adderall," paving the way for his 2018 debut album, Gold Rush.
Frost grew up playing shows with bluegrass and fiddle musicians but picked up several styles along his musical journey. Mixing hip-hop, R&B, and pop into a blues-inspired style, Frost has developed his own eclectic flavor. Signing with Nettwerk marks a new chapter in his career, characterized by increased lyrical honesty and maturity in his songwriting.
Having relocated to Nashville, the singer's latest endeavor Shelby Ave, Pt. 1 draws inspiration from his new surroundings. Written and recorded in a house on Shelby Ave, the EP showcases Frost's multifaceted talent across five distinctive tracks.
Max describes the project, "Most of these songs are written about something that's melancholic or dark, but they're still trying to land in a beautiful place without bastardizing the truth. This music represents exactly how I feel about my life at this time. More than ever before, this feels like a new chapter. It's a philosophical change. Everything is new and on my own terms."
The opening track, "Creep Back," pulses, driven by a thumping piano melody and slick bass line. Frost's hypnotic high register takes on the hook to capture the raw vulnerability of being caught in the crosshairs of nostalgia, unable to escape the ghosts of relationships past. “I hate the way you creep back in my mind. Don’t you know it happens all the time, and I get so lonely, lonely babe.”
Frost continues with the energetic "Cig In The Morning," delivering a guitar-driven groove that plays over a swaggering beat. “This is what feels like sleeping in The Matrix, waking up again you’re just gonna do all the same shit.” Frost's lyrics capture the existential search for meaning, leaving an image of a lone soul pondering the meaning of life on a porch, smoke curling towards the sky.
“It evokes the whole spirit of the EP,” he exclaims. “It’s very much about the balance between wanting the answers and meaning in your life, yet knowing these things will forever be out of reach. You have all these questions, yet you’re just a person sitting on the porch with a cigarette.”
"The Ghost," takes a more somber turn, layering ethereal harmonies over a velvety guitar. Grappling with morality and loss, Frost's voice soars, yearning for a departed loved one, a ghostly presence on life's winding road.
In "Black Hole Love," Frost contemplates an unattainable romance. Harmonies soar over a slick bass line and breezy guitar. The doo-wop-inspired melody in the chorus underscores Frost's message as he laments, “You dream of someone different, float on through skies within it all, in a black hole kind of love.”
“This song is about being in love with someone you can’t be with,” he says. “Your attraction to them pulls you in, but you’re forever just in orbit because of outside forces pushing you away. Your love is in a black hole in space.”
But not all is introspective melancholy. "Avalanche" injects a shot of adrenaline with its soaring synth chords and poppy production. This track explores the intoxicating thrill of the unknown, the irresistible pull of risk and uncertainty that beckons us to break free from the familiar. The driving melody and Frost's confident vocals ignite a spark of rebellion, urging us to embrace the chaos and leap into the unknown.
Closing the EP with "Stand By Me," Frost provides a stirring performance against a stark piano backdrop. Building the track, Frost asks at the end, “We’re just surviving, will you stand by me?” The question is left hanging in the air for us to ponder.
“Eternal love is supposedly ‘meant to be,’ but it may never actually be,” he sighs. “You know someone is out there for you, but in the end, are they really the person you’re supposed to be with? Will they stand by you when all else seems lost?”
Shelby Ave, Pt. 1 is much more than just a collection of catchy tunes written in Nashville. It's an exploration of love, loss, and the existential questions that linger on the fringes of our minds. Through genre-bending melodies and introspective lyrics, Frost shares his vulnerabilities and leaves us questioning where we stand in turn. This is just the beginning of his exploration of Shelby Ave, and I can't wait to see where the road takes him next.
Credit: Laura Partain