The Gravity Show

Item: Fabulous, Like You
Author: Trae Cadenhead

Fabulous, Like You

(2002)

Reviewed by Trae Cadenhead

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Northern RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2002

electronic indie rock pop rock

Michael Pritzl has been working for years within The Violet Burning to create great music. With that outlet, his songwriting has gradually gotten better and better. With Fabulous, Like You, Pritzl has taken the next logical step. Why this record wasn't released as a Violet Burning record is a question that is bound to come to the minds of many. Aside from contractual reasons with Northern Records, I think Michael Pritzl made this album as The Gravity Show so that it wouldn't shock too many fans of The Violet Burning.

In many ways Fabulous, Like You feels like the sequel to The Violet Burning's Demonstrates Plastic and Elastic. It takes the electronic leanings of that album and uses them as a key instrument in holding the record together. The synthesized melodies and beats combined with the guitar work of Michael Pritzl make for a soundtrack of songs that are both catchy and beautiful.

To be sure, Pritzl's songwriting has changed. While he used to pen long, loping ballads, now the rock and roll creator/ worship leader is writing shorter, catchier songs with hooks that simply will not let go. Each verse builds to a chorus that could be repeated over and over without getting old. Perhaps this is pop music, but it also feels much more intelligent than is normally expected from such fare.

The theme of Fabulous, Like You is nothing new to the music that Michael Pritzl makes. The album is very simply about love. Just as with previous albums, these songs sound so beautiful that they can easily be mistaken for worship songs. They were not written as such, yet the heart of Pritzl's music is so perfect that it can be impossible not to close your eyes and drink it all in, simultaneously praising God. This is especially true of songs like "Aching," "Worlds Apart," and "Halo." Pritzl's music is beautiful art. Perhaps that is where this worshipful feel comes from.

Michael Pritzl's voice is the icing on the cake. His smooth, sweet vocals sound perfect with the atmospheric electronics and guitar that accompany him. He sounds just as comfortable with upbeat songs like "Dreadful" and "Gone Gone Gone" as he does on slower tunes like "Perfect Day" and "Goodnight."

While each facet of The Gravity Show is great, together they create a near perfect whole. A review of Fabulous, Like You can't provide near as much incentive to buy the album as a listen to one of the songs, but I will say it as clearly as I can: Michael Pritzl is making incredible music. Fabulous, Like You is a key part of his musical journey.

4.5 tocks