The quality of Fontayne’s voice as he speaks the opening lyrics on the track “Weight of the World” is almost identical to that of singer/songwriter Sean Mullins from his hit song “Lullaby.” However, as the song progresses, hints of Fontayne’s British accent come through and my mind turned to comparisons with John Lennon, George Michael and Freddie Mercury. The vocal similarities to George Michael are undeniable on the track “Marlene.” This loungy, smooth song sounds like one of Michael’s tunes from his post-“Faith” days when Michael decided that he wanted to be a more “serious” musician. I don’t think Fontayne was consciously doing anything to try to sound like the famous Brit singer, but their similar vocal range and breathy tone can’t help but draw comparisons.

One of things that resonates in my mind long after listing to Fontayne’s songs are his unconventional lyrics. His British humor comes out a little in a manner that makes me think that both Queen and Monty Python must have been huge influences on him. Is this a comedy album? Most certainly not, but it is filled with subtle humor that is woven into songs about love, life and the human experience. On the track “There’s Only Room for Me,” the musical style is almost ragtime, and sounds in fact like a long-lost Queen song. It’s not a funny song like “Fat Bottom Girl” or “Bicycle,” but it has that same experimental mix of unconventional music styles that Queen was quite famous for.

Despite Fontayne’s sometimes quirky lyrics, there is big radio hit potential on many of the songs on What Nature Intended. His ability to craft a big pop hook shines brightest on the choruses of the tracks “Cut from the Same Cloth,” “It’s Only Love” and “Weigh Down Into Gold.” It’s obvious that Fontayne’s years of experience working with some of pop music’s biggest and most successful artists has rubbed off on him.

Fontayne’s skill as a guitarist is so vast that he can flow from style to style effortlessly. He’s equally comfortable strumming or finger-picking an acoustic guitar on a lullaby ballad such as “Little Napoleons” or flat-out rocking on songs like “Weigh Down Into Gold.” His years of experience as a guitarist in the studio and on stage have given him the ability to play intricate lines and chords in such a way that they sound quite simple. Even if this album were purely instrumental, fans of good musicianship would have plenty to listen to just in Fontayne’s guitar parts alone.

Seeing Fontayne perform virtually every track from What Nature Intended several days after first listening to the album was both a blessing and a curse. It gave me a new appreciation for the songs, yet at the same time it left me wishing that more of the energy and emotion from his live show could have found its way onto the studio version. I wasn’t truly impressed with Fontayne until I saw him with my own eyes, 20 feet away in a small club. The album then became a reminder to me of how good his live performances are.

Recorded and mixed in several home studios and professional studios, the album does sound a bit disjointed and could certainly use a different producer. Fontayne’s self-production on As Nature Intended is fine, but it lacks the spark that I saw and heard from his live show.

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