That Man Fantastic

"...TMF is like taking a bloody brilliant trip while relaxing in a pastel colored jazz lounge.." - Marcus Pan - www.legendsmagazine.net/163/fantastic.htm

".. you'll be confused, enchanted, addicted..." - Kris Larson - www.onlinerock.com/CDreview/review_thatmanfantastic.shtml - Legends Magazine

That Man Fantastic
Pop Songs for Art Films
Splendid Music
Genres: Rock/Pop

Oakland-based That Man Fantastic has released a tasty little gem with Pop Songs for Art Films. The 11-tracks are diverse from one to the next, yet maintain strong cohesiveness. "The Airport Song (She's Never Comin' Back)" swings ruefully as vocalist/composer Stephen Duffy reflects on a modern love leaving on a one way plane. "The Prayer" imparts a country Byrds feel over a trancey folk rock meditation. A myriad of sounds enhance the listening experience, including the classical guitar on "Just to Hold You (If Only)."

Pop Songs for Art Films is elegant but not pretentious. The group is adventurous and unafraid to weave in and out of various genres in order to express complex human emotions. The result is a CD that the listener can play many times and yet hear it differently with every new listen.

See That Man Fantastic live!

-Dan Vermont
www.theowlmag.com - www.theowlmag.com

This is quite nice!!
Category: Music

A Kind of Homecoming
author: Shiffi Le Soy
A select few have been aware of Stephen Duffy's presence in San Francisco music circles since the early 90s, notably with modern rock geniuses Handsome Poets. His latest project, That Man Fantastic, a meditation on maturity, contentment, isolation and faded dreams, continues his tradition of crafting moody evocative pop influenced by – among others - Beth Gibbons, Brian Eno, David Bowie, U2, Nick Drake, and Rinse Dream. Well, if you're going to have influences you couldn't do much better than that, and on their new album 'Pop Music for Art Films', That Man Fantastic more than live up to them. 'Second Skin', a standout track, is distinguished by Duffy's yearning vocals and trademark circular acoustic guitar patterns. Many of the songs are haunted by liberal applications of reverb and a shimmering moodiness courtesy of Brother Jack Elder's guitar work, notably on 'She who is always in my Thoughts' a touching tribute to a constant companion. In fact there are lovely guitar touches all over this beautifully produced album; check the spooky musings of 'Electricity'. Instrumentally there is much else to admire, including stirring melodic bass courtesy of David Brooks, and some lovely piano work, for instance on 'Layer upon Layer', Stephen, have you been taking lessons on "the old joanna"? Nice one. There are many surprises on this album. Listening to 'The Prayer' TMF even seem to have created a new genre – ambient alt country-rock! And if that sounds weird, wait till you hear it…I have feeling you'll be impressed. Fans will enjoy spotting influences here, but then there are some songs, like 'Or all 6' and 'Whenever I See the Sun" (quite often in California, I'd have thought!), which are pure Stephen Duffy. I can't explain what that means, you'll have to listen for yourself. After listening to 'Pop Music for Art Films' I was rather pretentiously reminded of T.S. Eliot's poem 'Little Gidding', where Eliot writes: 'We shall not cease from exploration/ And the end of all our exploring/ Will be to arrive where we started/ And know the place for the first time' It really feels like Duffy and his cohorts have effected a kind of homecoming on this record. The cover photo shows band members relaxing on a couch in the middle of the sidewalk, a comfortable if somewhat unusual location which sums up the feeling of much of this album – cozy and welcoming, yet spacious and occasionally edgy. Celebrating the mystery of creation and a love reborn, 'Pop Music for Art Films' is Stephen Duffy's finest hour…so far. - www.islandsofecstasy.blogspot.com

Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Review of Pop Songs For Art Films
Category: Music

That Man Fantastic..s debut album Pop Songs for Art Films opens with sixties-style layered harmonies, though it..s less Tommy by The Who and more Petra Hayden..s a capella cover of same. Then the second track starts and you..re suddenly in a Spanish bodega, where flamenco-influenced guitars support lyrics that sound as if they..ve entered English from somewhere else: ..I want to feel the love from you, my beautiful woman... By the fifth track, ..Or All 6?.. when you..re bopping your head along to a They Might Be Giants-style chant, you..re confused, enchanted and addicted.

Despite the band..s genre-hopping talents, many of the tracks on Pop Songs are boy-and-his-guitar-style love ballads. Stephen M. Duffy, the Manchester native behind That Man Fantastic, has a smooth, wistful voice, especially when crooning lyrics like ..I don..t want to talk about your friends all night [..] I just want you to think how much you still love me, or if you still do... Take a glass of Pimm..s out on the lawn, put Pop Songs for Art Films on over the hidden speakers and feel all the tension leave your body.

Favorite Track: Track 1, ..Second Skin..

http://www.onlinerock.com - Online Rock

Tuesday, November 07, 2006


album review by Shiffi Le Soy
Category: Music

A Kind of Homecoming
Reviewer: Shiffi Le Soy
A select few have been aware of Stephen Duffy..s presence in San Francisco music circles since the early 90s, notably with modern rock geniuses Handsome Poets. His latest project, That Man Fantastic, a meditation on maturity, contentment, isolation and faded dreams, continues his tradition of crafting moody evocative pop influenced by .. among others - Beth Gibbons, Brian Eno, David Bowie, U2, Nick Drake, and Rinse Dream. Well, if you..re going to have influences you couldn..t do much better than that, and on their new album ..Pop Songs for Art Films.., That Man Fantastic more than live up to them. ..Second Skin.., a standout track, is distinguished by Duffy..s yearning vocals and trademark circular acoustic guitar patterns. Many of the songs are haunted by liberal applications of reverb and a shimmering moodiness courtesy of Brother Jack Elder..s guitar work, notably on ..She who is always in my Thoughts.. a touching tribute to a constant companion. In fact there are lovely guitar touches all over this beautifully produced album; check the spooky musings of ..Electricity... Instrumentally there is much else to admire, including stirring melodic bass courtesy of David Brooks, and some lovely piano work, for instance on ..Layer upon Layer.., Stephen, have you been taking lessons on ..the old joanna..? Nice one. There are many surprises on this album. Listening to ..The Prayer.. TMF even seem to have created a new genre .. ambient alt country-rock! And if that sounds weird, wait till you hear it..I have feeling you..ll be impressed. Fans will enjoy spotting influences here, but then there are some songs, like ..Or all 6.. and ..Whenever I See the Sun.. (quite often in California, I..d have thought!), which are pure Stephen Duffy. I can..t explain what that means, you..ll have to listen for yourself. After listening to ..Pop Music for Art Films.. I was rather pretentiously reminded of T.S. Eliot..s poem ..Little Gidding.., where Eliot writes: ..We shall not cease from exploration/ And the end of all our exploring/ Will be to arrive where we started/ And know the place for the first time.. It really feels like Duffy and his cohorts have effected a kind of homecoming on this record. The cover photo shows band members relaxing on a couch in the middle of the sidewalk, a comfortable if somewhat unusual location which sums up the feeling of much of this album .. cozy and welcoming, yet spacious and occasionally edgy. Celebrating the mystery of creation and a love reborn, ..Pop Songs for Art Films.. is Stephen Duffys' finest hour..so far. - shiffi Le Soy reviews