Music has a rare power, it bridges generations, transcends trends, and captures the essence of who we are across moments. California™ feat. Les Fradkin know this better than most. With their dazzling new album “Postcard From London,” they’ve crafted not just a record, but a time capsule of sound and sentiment – a panoramic 22-track voyage through love, memory, and the unending vitality of song.
Les Fradkin – the multi-instrumentalist, producer, and one of the original cast members of Broadway’s Beatlemania – has long been recognized for his uncanny ability to meld nostalgia with innovation. Here, joined by an all-star ensemble that includes Joe Pecorino, Mitch Weissman, Justin McNeill, Jim Dessey, Rick Bloom, Mick Ronson, Phil Spector, Hilly Michaels, John Hawken, Dave Stalheim, and Joe Rotondo, Fradkin invites listeners into a glittering mosaic of eras and emotions. With 13 original compositions and 9 radiant covers, “Postcard From London” is a heartfelt salute to the music that shaped us — and a reminder that the past forever echoes in the present.
The album bursts to life with a soaring take on “Fellow Travellers” (originally by Procol Harum), setting an immediate tone of wistful grandeur. The production glows with shimmering guitar jangle and lush harmonic layering – sonic hallmarks that define California’s timeless sound. It’s as if each note carries a postcard from another era, stamped with warmth, sincerity, and hope.
From there, the journey unfolds through an expansive soundscape. The infectious “Jangleholic” sparkles with sunlit guitars and California pop harmonies, a jubilant celebration of the very textures that shaped Les Fradkin’s musical DNA. The introspective “I Could Make It Last Forever” stretches time itself, a meditation on permanence and love wrapped in melodic grace. Then comes “Come Fly to Fall in Love” – buoyant, romantic, and cinematic – capturing that sweet, weightless rush of new connection.
Fradkin’s originals sit comfortably beside his reinterpretations of beloved classics. His renditions of “Good Vibrations,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Willin,” and “The Mighty Quinn” retain every ounce of the originals’ charm, while reframing them through his signature blend of melodic sophistication and meticulous production. Each cover feels less like imitation and more like conversation – a dialogue between the golden age of pop and the contemporary artistry of California™.
At the heart of the album lies its title track, “Postcard From London.” It’s not just a song – it’s a concept, a state of mind, a letter sent across time from heart to heart. Sonically, the track is radiant, carried by jangling guitars, orchestral Mellotron layers, and Fradkin’s distinctively expressive vocal delivery.
Lyrically, “Postcard From London” paints a cinematic tableau – one of distance and devotion, of love preserved in the amber of memory. It’s the sound of nostalgia meeting renewal, of looking back while daring to move forward. The song’s narrative unfolds like a film reel: glimpses of old friends, forgotten places, letters unsent but never unwritten. There’s a wistfulness here, but also profound gratitude – for every shared song, every echo of laughter, every harmony that still lingers in the air.
Rather than leaning on melancholy, the lyrics embrace the idea that the past is not lost – it’s alive within us, guiding our steps into the future. Fradkin’s delivery is gentle but charged with emotion; each line seems to shimmer with the weight of history and the lightness of hope. The melody itself rises like a tide, lifting the listener into that sublime space where memory becomes music.
“Postcard From London” feels almost spiritual – not in a religious sense, but in its reverence for connection. It reminds us that music, like love, never truly fades; it only transforms. The song becomes a metaphor for artistic legacy itself – a reminder that sound, once born, continues to travel, crossing oceans of time.
One of the album’s most remarkable aspects is its deep sense of community. Les Fradkin has reunited an extraordinary array of talent, weaving together decades of shared history. The record also honors the enduring friendship between Les and the late Michael Brown, founder of The Left Banke, whose final two compositions – co-written with Les and Loretta Fradkin – find a home here. Their inclusion lends the album a poignant gravitas; these songs are more than just collaborations – they’re farewells, signed with melody.
Elsewhere, we hear echoes of another golden moment in rock history. The inclusion of “All You Need Is Love” – recorded back in 1976 by Joe, Les, Mitch, and Justin before their days in Beatlemania – bridges the decades beautifully. It’s not just nostalgia for its own sake; it’s a vivid snapshot of a musical family in its youth, full of fire and possibility. To hear it now, within the context of “Postcard From London,” feels like closing a circle that began half a century ago.
Visually, the album’s cover art – shot at Abbey Road Studios in London – adds another layer of intrigue. Les Fradkin worked at Abbey Road more than 50 years ago, around the same time The Beatles captured their own legendary “Abbey Road” photograph. That parallel isn’t coincidence – it’s thematic. The cover, filled with subtle “clues,” invites fans to play detective, tracing connections between past and present. It’s a visual metaphor for the album’s essence: history and destiny walking side by side, in perfect rhythm.
What makes “Postcard From London” truly captivating is its production. Fradkin’s meticulous ear for tone ensures that every note breathes. The guitars sparkle with Rickenbacker brilliance, the keyboards shimmer with vintage soul, and the harmonies soar with a clarity reminiscent of classic sunshine pop. Yet, despite its retro aura, the album never feels trapped in the past – its emotional core and crystalline production keep it vividly modern.
From the jubilant pulse of “Perfect World” to the reflective glow of “A Christmas Gone Too Soon,” each track adds a different hue to the record’s kaleidoscope. Even the holiday-themed numbers feel less like seasonal detours and more like emotional landmarks – moments of reflection in a lifelong love affair with melody.
Ultimately, “Postcard From London” is about connection – to people, to places, to the songs that define our lives. Les Fradkin doesn’t just play instruments; he plays memory itself. His melodies are letters sent across time, his arrangements bridges between generations. Every strum, every harmony, every swell of sound whispers the same message: we are all part of the same song.
Listening to this album feels like paging through a scrapbook where each photograph sings. It’s an experience – one best enjoyed with the windows down, the sun setting, and your heart open. Whether you’re on the highway, on a plane, or simply lost in thought by the sea, California™ feat. Les Fradkin’s “Postcard From London” is the soundtrack that will bring you home – to the past, to the present, and to yourself.
“Postcard From London” isn’t merely an album – it’s a love letter to music itself. It’s the sound of the past writing to the future, and the future finally writing back.
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