by Michael Fracasso
"One of the 10 best albums of '98...."
-The Austin Chronicle
- Dave Marsh
- MusicCritic.com
- The Strangers Top 10
"Best Albums of the Year...." #14
- The Austin American-Statesman
P
r
o
d
u
c
e
d
by
Charlie Sexton.
"Michael Fracasso's World in a Drop of Water
establishes him as a great rock writer."
~ Dave Marsh
Playboy - July 1998
"With World in a drop of Water, Michael Fracasso pushes the envelope
of his already condsiderable talents and has come up with a masterpiece.
Assisted by producer Charlie Sexton, Fracasso has sculpted a unique sound
that matches the surprising twists and turns of his new songs."
Steve Rostkoski
Nickle's Worth - July 1998
"No other artist playing the folk/rock circuit today comes as close
to really
putting all the great strains of American music into such a cohesive package.
Only Springsteen with "Born to Run" and Petty with "Damn
the Torpedoes"
have come as close to such a definitive album that rocks without being adolescent..."
Greg Johnson
Oklahoma Gazette - April 1998
Michael re: 4 songs:::
Started on the Wrong Foot At some point in life you may feel like
a "working stiff," and it's usually about at this time that your
relationship starts to go south.
Chain-link Fence I used to try to keep my dog locked up behind a chain-link
fence, but he always managed to get out. I used to try to keep my feelings
locked up, too.
Jar of Pennies I was staying at a friend's house who had a copy of
Nietzsche in the bathroom. After reading a few pages, I wondered; was it
irony or was he trying to save on toilet paper?
World in a Drop of Water I remember in Biology 101 our teacher told
us we would see an entire world while looking through a microscope at a
drop of pond water. This is that same drop of water, different magnification.
Bohemia Beat 0008
"Michael Fracasso's World in a Drop of Water is in fact seven seas
of lovely, stirring and often profound words and music, teeming with waves
of spirit, insight, energy and passion. It lifts Fracasso above the
singer-songwriter fray, revealing a singer whose words find the wise and
tender grace notes of life and love, and a writer whose voice and music
eloquently enunciate the poetry of the heart.
As this disc's title implies, the seemingly smallest moments and observations
become grand and rich within these songs, which fathom the depths where
the
mind and soul become one.
Buoyed by producer Charlie Sexton's sonic and melodic alchemy,
Fracasso evokes the finest musical traditions with
an utterly modern lyricism and splendor,
giving World in a Drop of Water a refreshing
and nourishing essence
that will endure for all time."
~ Rob Patterson
music lover & critic
{published pretty much
everywhere}
"World In a Drop of Water makes such a major move forward
for his music
that it's as if he has become a new artist with this as his debut release.
Somehow Michael Fracasso and Charlie Sexton have figured out
how to inject a wealth of textures, tones, and opposing forces
into the "drops of water" Fracasso's songs are.
This is an inspired work, driven equally
by Fracasso with his intelligent songwriting
and emotionally-charged vocals
and Sexton's vision of what sounds could match
both the intelligence and emotion of Fracasso's songs.
Its links to several of the better rock writers of the past
(Lennon, Petty, Buddy Holly) are clear,
but by no means is anything here derivative.
This is Michael Fracasso and what he does
being presented better than ever.
Credit Charlie Sexton for the second part of that statement.
By all means, though, understand that Michael Fracasso is an artist
whose talent and writing abilities
warrant that kind of inventive presentation."
Martin Fullington ~ Music Reviews Quarterly
(for the entire, quite perceptive, review)
"There is nothing special about this album. There are no African
a cappella choirs, no Philharmonic orchestras, no tricked-out miking jobs
to make the music sound 40 years old. And that's what makes World in a Drop
of Water, this Austin-based singer-songwriter's third album, so good: It's
simple
and pure. It's just Fracasso and a few others - Charlie Sexton (who also
produced),
Dave McNair, Mac McNabb, plus brief appearances from Andrew DuPlantis and
Kelly Willis - but really, at the end of the day, it's just Fracasso's voice,
that slightly
quavering voice which sounds like it has survived every emotional catastrophe
possible and has come back even richer for the wear. It's Fracasso's greatest
asset, and he really mines its emotional range, carefully exploiting it
on the
relatively lavish "Gold" and the heartbreaking "Your Gift
to Me," then
playing it with a more restrained and fitting plainness on "Started
on
the Wrong Foot." And as backing soundtrack, the entire album is
very stark and understated, with the melodies of "Chain Link
Fence" being just enough to buoy Fracasso's voice without
smothering it. There's nothing fancy about World in a
Drop of Water, not that you would ever expect that
from Michael Fracasso, but it's smart of him
nonetheless to just open his mouth and let
his voice do the talking.
3.5 STARS - Michael Bertin ~ The Austin Chronicle
To
Order from Rounder Records (sound clips too)
MichaelHome
Michael's Bio self-written & featuring
his artwork
Lyrics and fun art to "World in a drop of
water"
Nice review (2/98) from the Austin American-Statesman
Cover story & review- Austin Chronicle
