“I’m always dreaming darling / If you really want to know / I got ten things on my mind / At any given time / Anything less feels slow,” Francis of Francis Co. sings on the emotional folk song, “Wear Nothing but the Blues,” a song that helps start the album. This album, twelve songs, and a bonus track/remix, go at least ten clever different directions, while telling a compelling story and filling out the picture of a man with “The California Blues”.
To set the place, it opens with “Santa Ana’s Son.” “And trips got made / But fate had little games it played / No matter where I ran I stayed / Santa Ana’s son.” It’s a story about buying a house and settling down—to some degree. It creates a powerful counter-point to much of the rambling, failing man that makes up the rest of the songs. A lover (or lovers) makes multiple appearances, but the first song gives the impression that his longing days are behind him.
It seems like Francis might have more of an imagination for or past dealing with the dark, seedy, bluesy life than he’s experiencing in the present. A feeling the first song gives you, anyway. I guess that’s the irony of California blues, though. You can’t imagine someone in sunny California struggling so much with the blues. In a way, it feels a bit like a schtick–the folk bluesman. Though an entertaining one; and he stays in character throughout.
His voice and his lyrics are the center piece of the album. He’s got a satisfying husky, country, folky voice and he’s a master story teller. The arrangements err on the side of simple, and sometimes miss the mark, like the train wreck of string arrangements on “Memphis.” But the simplicity of the arrangements might be one of the strengths of the album, because he’s so commanding with just his voice and guitar. It takes on a “folk hero” feel, for that reason, and his songs are full of imagery and melody worthy of that comparison.
He imparts wisdom to his listener, like on “Little Brother,” where he gives a younger version of himself advice, though he “didn’t listen, I doubt you will.” He tells stories about his father (“I just got his name”), his relationship developments (“There’s no more Memphis, just Tennessee / and now you’re sure about me”), his conflict-ridden character (“I’m a hammer loving nail”). And the title track, the last proper song on the album, is a powerful song which puts a cherry on the top of his “blues cake”. “I miss you so much and you’re still right here / How’s it going to feel after you disappear?”
With the lyrics before me, it was a thrilling record. But I imagine the regular listener might get bored with the simplicity and repetition. Francis Co. could really benefit from a Co. to bring these songs to life, though he might lose something in story-translation and folk-appeal in the process. It’s an impressive collection of songs, as is, and like he claims in the beginning, proves himself to be a multifaceted man who’s not content without his roving and often sad imagination. I think this would be a satisfying listen to those with a taste for blues’ folk music, if there already is a genre out there of the sorts. I’d give the album a 7. The heart is certainly there, but the execution is sometimes lacking.
Prism Reviews 