Search - Francine :: 40 on a Fall Day

Brilliant rich, dark, understated guitar pop

Jonathan B Whitcomb | New Hampshire USA | 10/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Forty on a Fall Day is the first full length album by Boston's Francine. Songwriter and front man Clayton Scoble was last seen in the short lived Poundcake with former Cavedogs drummer Mark Rivers.This is a hard album to describe. It is a great rock guitar album yet there are no guitar theatrics. The guitar and bass work is excellent throughout in support of the songs but is rarely featured by itself.This is great pop, but there is nothing bubblegummy about it. A few of the songs are instantly catchy (notably Set Of Dune, Jet To Norway and Pop Warner), but Scoble's skewed sense of melody can take a some time to sink in.The lyrics are delightfully obscure. Scoble makes many references to offbeat pop cultural icons (David Lynch's Dune, the 60's Thunderbirds TV series, The Amps, Aerosmith, Joan Jett, various Boston landmarks). But I never got the sense that Scoble was just dropping names, and some of his lines really cracked up ("Trying to get rock from the blood of Johnny Tesh", "Notice the Stones are starting to suck?","I know it's kind of lame, I'm taking Kim to a Pop Warner Game"). The songs give the listener the sense that they are getting a glimpse of a much larger story, which gives the album a sense of dimension. Clayton's singing is pleasant and rich though he has a tendancy to lapse into Lou Reed mode too often. He handles the backing vocals as well as the lead vocals and the arrangements are excellent.Most of the songs have a medium slow tempo, held down by the tasty understated drumming of Steve Scully. Jon Lupfer's production is excellent (love the John Bonham snare!!), giving the songs a lush soundscape that complement the songs without overwhelming them.Each of these elements are wonderful on their own, but the album is far more than a sum of the parts. Like most good pop albums this one is complex and layered and may take a few listens to appreciate. "Forty on a Fall Day" has grown on me with every spin and thus far is my favorite album of 2000. With so many sound-alike bands out there, Francine sounds fresh and different. Those of you who like your pop dark, smart and not overly polished should look no further."