A Look at Booker Fraudger’s Newest EP, Strawberry Soul Patch

Review Written by Josh Pitts

What’s better than old Booker Fraudger? New Booker Fraudger, obviously. For those eagerly awaiting exactly that, the wait has finally come to an end with the EP Strawberry Soul Patch. Fear not, however, the masterful mixture of chill vibes and musical complexity have made their wondrous return. That signature grab-bag of musicality you’ve come to expect from Booker Fraudger is on full display in Strawberry Soul Patch, along with some fascinating evolutions since 2022’s Wormmoon.

Wormmoon itself hardly needs a reintroduction, as the eagle-eared will surely remember the surprisingly fresh blend of 60’s rock and relaxing modern instrumentalism that would make Hendrix himself tap a foot. With its carefully crafted story of victory in redemption, Wormmoon is an intimate study in the new statements that are still to be made with just a guitar and some percussion. But enough about the past, we’re here to discuss Strawberry Soul Patch and the leap in musicality it represents for Booker Fraudger.

Situating us right in that musical leap is Strawberry Soul Patch’s first track, Vanilla Mango. This synth-forward track would feel right at home opening for a Stevie Wonder show. We hear the clean drums and funky guitar we’ve grown accustomed to from Booker Fraudger, but we get an even funkier line on the keys that is the engine for this opening track. I dare anyone to listen to Vanilla Mango without jamming, nodding, and tapping along from head to foot. Vanilla Mango has a little something for everyone. Even for those missing the classic Booker Fraudger guitar lines, they come back front and center at the end to remind you whose concert you’re actually at. Not that of Hendrix, nor Wonder, but a student of both and more.

Continuing in that comfort zone, track 2, Sour Melon, arrives as the EP’s single and return to form. The fast-paced call and response between bass and guitar is the hallmark of Sour Melon, working to great effect. It is rare indeed to hear two instruments simultaneously battling for supremacy and complementing each other in harmony. The listener finds themselves almost rooting for the bass to continue riffing off the line it establishes at the beginning, only for it to be upstaged by the guitar in its rightful place as ruler. Though none listening would call this usurpation a bad thing. 

After all this fast-paced masterclass in musicality, the respite of track 3, A Garden Enclosed, is much welcome. One finds oneself instantly lulled into a sense of calm and the ability to focus on whatever lies ahead with clarity. It is the perfect track to throw on in the background as the soundtrack to life’s tasks, as this writer can presently attest. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to float around a coral reef in a giant bubble before washing up on shore for a home-cooked meal, close your eyes and throw on A Garden Enclosed to find out.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and what better ending could there be than track 4, Strawberry Sanctuary? When looking for words to describe a track like this, all else fails next to the title itself. Little could paint a more accurate picture of this song than sitting atop a hill surrounded by strawberry fields, picnic basket laid out before you, the one you love counting the stars as they appear during sunset, and let’s not forget the dog snoozing under the nearby shade tree. Enough about the instruments, this is the feeling of Strawberry Sanctuary and Strawberry Soul Patch as a whole by extension. 

This EP represents what is, for most of us, some much-needed peace in a noisy world. And who’s it gonna hurt if we pick up some funky grooves along the way as a bonus? That’s what Booker Fraudger does best, after all.