I still can’t believe that Robert Francis has managed to steer clear of the spotlight. He’s young, talented, and has an amazing voice. His songs are both accessible and devastating. He sings about lost love, drug addiction, and the road in an authentic voice. But why wasn’t he touring? Apparently, Francis left music altogether, shaved his head and went to Michigan for a year. But he couldn’t stay away, and we’re all richer for it.
Like all of his albums, Francis manages to pack a lot in. He’s got acoustic storytelling, album rock hocks, and some alt-country crooning to boot. But really the star of the album is Francis’ indomitable pipes. They have a broad range and smoothly transition from his husky baritone into his emotional falsetto.
While the first few tracks take a couple of extra spins, the albums second side is more immediately rich and accessible. “Pain” is an affecting tune where Francis’ baritone and falsetto fade into each other like up-the-neck playing on a guitar. The arpeggios during the verse and the harmonies on the chorus segue from “All I ever wanted was you” and back into “You’re still the one to break my heart.” These lyrics are not overly poetic, but the delivery is deeply emotive. Francis’ direct approach wastes no time engaging the listener.
“Give You My Love” slows things down a bit. But Francis’ vocals again carry the day. He’s able to bring a seemingly cheesy lyric in the title a slowed down and storytelling approach. Somehow he’s managed to make the lyrics sound like a story. “We’re here for a while / then we’re gone / to give you my love / it’s the best thing that I have.” Francis’ is back exploring the fickle nature of love and how it appears and then is gone. The vocal character brings together both soulful verses and a deeply affecting chorus.
But perhaps the most emotionally bare song on the records is “I’ve Been Meaning to Call.” Francis tells the story of shaving his head. He lightly picks his guitar and lets the story do the talking. He tells of meeting a girl in a record store: “In the dark we played records with everyone high / I held her hand when the police drove by / She asked me about home if I missed it at all / I thought momma, oh mom, / I’ve been meaning to call.” He continues to string together beautiful lyrics. He brings together the literate storytelling of Josh Ritter with the direct emotional crooning of Ryan Adams. This song demonstrates songwriting and vocal expression at its best. A song like this doesn’t need any studio trickery.
And that’s just the second side of the record. Give me a few weeks, a bunch more spins, and I’m sure I’ll be able to say some more about the first side which seems like it’ll be a bit more of a grower. There’s plenty there on the first weeks listen but I have no doubt it’ll bear more fruit soon. Can’t wait to catch Francis when he finally gets out to the east coast!
About the author: Jeff is a teacher in the Boston area. When not buried correcting papers, Jeff can be found plucking various stringed instruments and listening to all types of americana music.