Small World

Despite having put out an overwhelming surfeit of eminently ear-friendly, reliably flawless pop melodies, Scottish singer-songwriter Roddy Frame might have toiled long and hard in an often-unforgiving business, but has only been repaid with continuing unresponsiveness and sometimes, even sheer unawareness (especially in that monolithic, oftentimes indifferent market called the United States of America). A crying shame, really, considering that Frame has proven himself time and again to be habitually incapable of writing a duff song (virtually every tune he has written holds the potential to be a hit single, if only given the proper exposure and support). One of Frame's most endearing trademarks is his singular ability to effectively convey simple, candid observations without sounding mawkish, and nowhere is this more evident on 'Small World', a sparkling guitar waltz from 2002 album 'Surf'. Check out a stellar live take on this minor classic, shot at the famed Borderline in London during a series of residencies to promote 'Surf'.