album review in the australian May 2001

SINGER Rebecca Rennie is the focal point of FREYjA, a Sydney-based ensemble that mixes pop with a bit of jazz & folk. Her speaking-style vocals come packaged with a gentle mellifluence.

But Rennie's best contribution is her lyric writing, reminiscent of the offbeat appoach of Tom Waits or some of the old beat poets. For example, in the tune Don't Bother Going Home, she sings: "Don't bother going home, there's a trampoline in the bed," & then this, my favourite: "Don't bother going home, there are drop bears climbing the walls, & not too happy ones at that!" She deserves credit for manaing to get drop bears in a song, just as it took someone like Tom Waits to successfully rhyme the word 'emphysema'.

The other member of FREYjA include flamenco guitarist Gino Pengue, keyboardist Stuart Hunter, saxophonist Jason Morphett & Miroslav Bukovsky of Wanderlaust fame.

Ashleigh Wilson
THE AUSTRALIA May 2001