Album review: Before Nightfall by Robert Francis

Oct 8 2009 Chester Chronicle

ROBERT FRANCIS/Before Nightfall (Atlantic Records: 521111-2)

ALBUM REVIEW/by Grahame Rhodes

AFTER his indie release “One By One” in 2007, comes the major label debut for the supremely talented Los Angeles-based Robert Francis, a 21 year old multi-instrumentalist, singer and writer – twelve songs all written by him, with the album produced by the noted D. Sardy, who has previously worked with Oasis, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Marilyn Manson, amongst others.

His music has a broad sweeping, big sound to it – his voice sometimes aching and fragile, and at other times with a toughness to it. He plays guitar and a variety of keyboard, with the other musicians being Grahame Lathrop (guitar and pedal steel), Alex Kweskin (bass) and Richard Gowen (drums), with lovely backing vocals from his sisters, Juliette and Carla Commagere.

Francis admits to being influenced by people such as Gene Clark, Bob Dylan and The Band – and certainly the album contains plenty of that classic American music, but with touches of both Jeff and Tim Buckley, and those favourite sons of LA, The Doors.

The opening “Darkness” has a sparse simplicity to it, with Gowen’s great drumming and a beautiful vocal from Francis, the following “Junebug” has a rolling guitar intro and gorgeous falsetto vocal. “Nightfall” is an album standout, slightly in Dylan territory, with a great vocal hook, nice picked banjo and Farfisa organ – the backing vocals again exemplary.

“Climb A Mountain” has no less a legend than family friend Ry Cooder guesting on slide guitar, he also happens to be Francis’s sister Juliette’s father-in-law – with Graham Lathrop’s pedal steel prominent here too. “I Like The Air” could have come off The Doors debut album – with that Ray Manzanerek organ sound driving the song along.

Elsewhere, “Keep On Running” has a great guitar refrain that grabs you and doesn’t let go; the pace is taken down on the beautiful “Mescaline”, with nice slide guitar work and breathy vocal. The summery “Where You Came From” is a catchy poppy tune, which you could imagine bursting out of the radio.

The gentle acoustic strum of “Hallways” sees the song build on Francis’s keyboards and another heartfelt vocal, with the closing “Do What I Can”, an amazing solo performance – just Robert Francis on guitar and voice – beautiful, and a stunning end to a very fine release.

Francis last album, “One By One” was about a failed relationship, this new one is his reflections on that after a healing period of time – he has succeeded in writing 12 fine songs that do him and his musicians proud, and at the tender age of just 21 he is definitely a new major blossoming talent to look out for.