FRANCISCO THE MAN

Sometimes you just want some rock. You don’t want the orchestral strings, the tinkling synthesizers or the cute beats. You want some ripping guitar. You want heavy bass lines and some goddamned kick drum. There’s a place for the rest, obviously, but the trends of present-day rock have rolled on a different tide. That is what makes Francisco The Man so refreshing. It’s rock, and it’s good.

The quartet’s ambitious debut, Loose Ends, fires on all cylinders: huge guitar hooks, garage-rock power, jammy explorations–it’s all there, complete and polished. As well it should be. According to the group, it took about seven years to put this album together amid line-up changes and a two-year hiatus. But here they stand.

What sets Francisco The Man apart from similar outfits is the confidence that oozes out of every track. From “In The Corners,” an angsty, bellowing stomper, to “It’s Not Your Fault,” a wailer with a killer hook, to “In My Dreams,” one of two eight minute-plus treks, the group knows which buttons to push and when to push them. The most attractive part about Loose Ends lies in its ability to be both heavy and exuberant. The tones and emotions cycling throughout the album suggest concentrated craftsmanship and a commitment to developing the highs along with the lows, a strength usually only present among seasoned vets. »

– Charles Trowbridge