A while back I was introduced to Robert Francis, the folk Americana sing-songwriter for his single "Nightfall" last December 7, and I have been listening to his sophomore as well as Atlantic Records debut album "Before Nightfall" ever since. Definitely drawing on his youthful energy, the barely legal Francis is working to make sure that you know who he is. He's now released a new music video on The Music Slut for his popular second track on this album, "Junebug."The song, Francis's deep, reverb-loaded vocals evoke the nostalgia that the lyrics give off for a lost love. The video seems to play off the lyrics talking about a girl next door that Francis has always been in love with. As cliché as the song and the video maybe, the song works to show off Francis's good vocals and sweet attitude towards music.
There's something very Boss-like about the video for "Junebug," gets the 1970s Americana treatment and the song itself has that special quality that somehow defines all classic anthems from everyone from U2 to Springsteen influences that echo through this song, and conveys the kind of drama and yearning and imagery that the video seems to be going for, an immediacy of purpose, an intensity of spirit that seeps from every pore. It's also just a great Friday afternoon-into-the-weekend reliever.
Just 22 years old, Francis displays a songwriting talent and musical breadth that far exceeds his young age, and has prompted National Public Radio to compare him to classic American songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle. He recalls the voice of simpler and more truthful era when people were crazier and sang about things that mattered. Maybe that's because of his unique musical childhood. After self-producing and playing nearly every instrument on his 2007 independent release "One by One," Francis now enlisted the services of Grammy Award winning producer D. Sardy for "Before Nightfall." Enjoy it hopefully as much as I did!
My favorite artist. I am so in love with him. Honestly.