Thirty years after its release, Frente!’s second album Shape stands as one of the boldest stylistic pivots by an Australian band of the 1990s, trading the acoustic charm of Marvin The Album for a darker, more atmospheric sound.
by Paul Cashmere
Released in July 1996, Shape marked a turning point for Melbourne band Frente!, arriving four years after the breakthrough success of Marvin The Album. Recorded in Spain and produced by Cameron McVey and Ted Niceley, the album celebrated its 30th anniversary this month as a reminder of a record that deliberately challenged expectations, even if it never matched the commercial heights of its predecessor.
For Frente!, the decision to reinvent rather than repeat was significant. By the mid 1990s the band had established itself as one of Australia’s defining alternative pop acts through hits including “Ordinary Angels”, “Accidently Kelly Street” and their internationally successful cover of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle”. Rather than capitalise on that formula, Angie Hart and Simon Austin steered the group towards a more textured and experimental direction that reflected the changing musical landscape of the decade.
The album was recorded during 1995 at El Cortijo Studios in Andalusia, Spain, with McVey, whose production credits included Neneh Cherry, and Ted Niceley, known for his work with Fugazi. The sessions produced a record that embraced ambient textures, electronic rhythms and trip-hop influences while retaining the melodic songwriting partnership of Hart and Austin.
Lead single “Sit On My Hands” introduced audiences to Frente!’s new direction. Gone was much of the jangly acoustic brightness that had defined the band’s early recordings. Instead, the song unfolded around restrained electronic rhythms, layered production and Hart’s understated vocal delivery. It reached No. 66 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
The second single, “What’s Come Over Me”, continued that sonic evolution. Built around downtempo beats and atmospheric arrangements, it reflected the band’s willingness to move beyond conventional alternative pop. Although it found modest international chart success, including a UK chart appearance, it failed to establish the same commercial momentum the band had enjoyed only a few years earlier. “Goodbye Goodguy” followed as the album’s third single in 1997.
Commercially, Shape peaked at No. 35 on the ARIA Albums Chart, well below the No. 5 achieved by Marvin The Album. That comparison was perhaps inevitable. Frente!’s debut had become one of Australia’s defining releases of the early 1990s, earning platinum accreditation, two ARIA Awards for Breakthrough Artist and international attention through the success of “Bizarre Love Triangle” in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Stylistically, however, Shape represented a considerable artistic leap. While Marvin The Album was rooted in acoustic folk-pop and quirky indie melodies, the second album embraced synthesisers, programmed percussion and expansive production. Hart’s vocals were woven into the arrangements rather than sitting prominently above them, creating a moodier and more immersive listening experience.
The album also reflected changes within the band’s line-up. Bass player Bill McDonald had replaced founding member Tim O’Connor following the extensive international touring behind Marvin The Album, while Alastair Barden had taken over on drums. Together with Hart and Austin, they formed the recording line-up for Shape.
At the time of release, critical opinion acknowledged the band’s ambition. Billboard observed that Frente! “breaks new creative ground without straying too far from its quirky style.” Other contemporary assessments recognised the sophistication of the production while questioning whether the album possessed the immediate hooks that had made its predecessor so accessible. In retrospect, Shape has increasingly been viewed as an adventurous catalogue entry that anticipated many of the atmospheric production trends emerging across alternative music during the second half of the 1990s.
Following the album’s release, Frente! embarked on an extensive international tour across Europe, Asia and the United States. They also supported Alanis Morissette on Australian dates during her Jagged Little Pill tour. Despite the renewed global activity, the band would split by the end of 1997, with members pursuing other projects before reuniting on several occasions during the following decades, including anniversary performances celebrating Marvin The Album and appearances at Mushroom Records’ 50th anniversary celebrations.
Thirty years on, Shape occupies a distinctive place in Frente!’s catalogue. It may never have eclipsed the popularity of the band’s debut, but it demonstrated a willingness to evolve creatively at the height of the group’s commercial profile. Its blend of alternative folk, ambient electronics and trip-hop textures remains one of the more adventurous artistic shifts undertaken by a major Australian band of the era.
Tracklisting
Sit On My Hands
Horrible
Goodbye Goodguy
Burning Girl
Clue
Harm
Air
Jungle
So Mad
Safe From You
The Destroyer
What’s Come Over Me
Calmly
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