The first time I heard Neal Francis was a one-off 2021 single called "Don't Call Me No More," a slick and funky groove that owed plenty to both Allen Toussaint and The Meters. But his 2019 debut failed to leave a mark, and I didn't bother to pay any more attention. I don't think I would have bothered with his new one either if our friend Kevin M hadn't mentioned that my new faves Say She She appeared on it.
"Return To Zero" caught me by surprise the same way Say She She's "Cut & Rewind" caught me by surprise. This is another organic record utitlizing many tricks of the past. This time the disco and funk is a bit more rock oriented- think your favorite rock band dabbling in disco on a single or two, for the sake of staying current in 1979.
The record is trippy and moves briskly, with a number of songs feeling like they could have existed somewhere between Bowie's "Young Americans" and "Low."
If you haven't already done so, I suggest a nice double feature of Say She She's "Cut & Rewind" and Neal Francis' "Return To Zero." I am really digging both.
3 comments:
Thanks for heads-up re Say She She. something I never would have heard without your post the other day. I heard a bit of Bananarama in their album. Not a group that got much respect but put out some fun music.
Yes, on Bananarama. I loved a bunch of their singles but thought saying that i the post might turn off a few potential listeners.
I discovered Neal Francis at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in 2023. His performance and songs were some of the best that weekend. I've followed him ever since. He knows how to bring out all of the familiar sounds of previous generations' music without sounding derivative and he and his band are amazing live.
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