Frente have finally returned home after two years of touring the world with their anticipated follow up to the excellent and oddly title, 'Marvin, The Album'. They've also returned with a tougher and more mature attitude.

When Frente first hit the charts back in '93 with the #1 'Ordinary Angels', and 'No time', 'Labour of Love', and that song you either loved or hated, 'Accidently Kelly St'. Simon Austin, Angie Hart, Alistair Baden and Tim O'Conner were young, naive and oblivous to what was going on around them. Now after having success reluctantly thrust upon them around the world, Frente have indeed grown up.

The last two years have been nothing but fast and furious, according to Frente's guitarist, Simon Austin the work hasn't let up. "We were in the States working 20 hour days, and I haven't had a holiday in two years. I think we've done every country we can go to."

It did pay off though. They secured a loyal fan base in the US and a top ten alternative album, Marvin went gold in Canada and most of Asia. They even scored a US Top 50 hit with a cover of New Order's 'Bizzare Love Triangle'.

Their second release, Shape is the most anticpated follow up album for some time. The difference between 'Marvin' and 'Shape' is quite varied. Gone are the sweet, wouldn't hurt a fly type of lyrics and sensitivity of Marvin and in marches the sentiments of a band more in control of their own destiny. Yeah, those vibrant pop moments still remain, but what you also find is a darker and more honest odd. You'll even hear the band rock out just a little bit. Shape is almost like a hallmark in Frente's career. It's a cut and paste affair of a world of influences ranging from the delicate sounds of trip hop to a rocked out affair. It even features the talents of new bassist Bill McDonald.

For the album Frente enlisted the help of producers David M Allen (who co-produced the last five Cure albums) and the wildy eccentric Booga Bear who has appeared on Massive Attack and Neneh Cherry's albums (and is married to Ms Cherry). They also set up a studio in a small house in the Spanish countryside, where they locked themselves away for a matter of months to record the album.

McEvery's involvement began when they appeared on the Tank Girl soundtrack, "It worked so well", says Simon, "then we asked him, 'Do you want to do the whole album?', and he's like, 'Well, I can't, I don't want to do a whole band based album, but I know this guy who you can get to do the band stuff, and I'll come n and do half each. I'll provide the dub stuff and Dave can provide the rock."

And Shape is exactly that. A well flowing and at times unusal blend of rock and warped dance elements. Take the first single for example, 'Sit on My Hands' with all its brooding drama, is infused with a very subtle trip hop, psychedelic dub feel.

David M. Allen's involvement offers another side to Frente. Tracks like 'Horrible' and 'Burning Girl' offer a new and improved edge to Frente. "I think the guys who produced it wanted to get out of us what we thought before we actually kind of polished it up and made it more rational sounding. It's like a real knee-jerk reaction." says Simon about Allen's and McEvey's ambition.

Mr Booga Bear's eccentric ways, certainly had an affect on the sound of Shape. His almost unorthodox approach was certainly an experience as Simon admits, "He's an incredibly amazing erudite and intelligent man. So, most of the actual session seems like stuff kind of gushed about, kind of poetry and art, and you're trying to do a guitar track and he just raves on about Edgar Allan Poe which was kind of weird but really good though.

He wrote the first two singles with Ange ['Sit On My Hands', 'What's Come over Me'] and he kind of brought the whole dub, trip hop techno, you know, little touches here andthere. And also it's a kind of a tougher record."

The album turned out with a raw and rough finish, which apparently wasn't Simon's intention. But because it worked out so well, they decided to keep on with that flow. "It wasn't my ambition. I went in to amke a record how we usally make it. We sit down and write songs until they're absolutely perfect and then record them. But Dave was like, 'Nuh, it's not going to be that way,"

Lyrically, the album could be described as a lot more brutal and honest. The darker elements as Simon pictures, was brought on by living on the road for practically two years.

"We've basically written this album while being on tour. It's a reflection with the last five years and my friendship with the band, It's made us a lot closer, I think. Through that whole thing where you crash or crash through it with your friendship, and we managed to get through it." Living in the Spanish outskirts was an obious learning experience and being locked away from the rest of civilisation proved more a help than a hinderance.

"I thoroughly recommend that every band should be cut off from the rest of civilisation, which is pretty much what it was, and make a record with a couple of very eccentric people."

Anita Caruso