"and trust me, this is hard for me"
The phrase "running back" conjures up many things in my mind. Some kind of banal and some more dramatic. You could be running back to get your wallet that you left on the fireplace mantel or you could be running back to that special person about to board a plane who you told you didn't love but you do. Yeah, maybe I watch too many romcoms, don't judge me and with TSA measures you can't even do that anymore.
The track Running Back by indie pop /rock singer-songwriter Andrea Franz doesn't answer certain questions but asks them in beautiful dreamy pop noir ways. Franz, from the onset, injects a curious come on listen sound with ethereal spacey synth keys and a delicious almost coy bass line, once the other elements and tight poppy synth bottom propelled beat with kind of proto punk / new wave tones drop in, you will bite. Franz's vocal performance is pretty pristine and pristine pretty, with dense self layers that make for a lush but also divergent off kilter sound. The over all (going back to proto punk circa late 70's) tone here is power pop but with tones that hearken backs to 60's girl fronted ear candy pop, legendary stuff like The Shangri-Las, or the Ronettes. Cool stuff, smart sound that is commercial but in a time warpy way and like those older songs, this works because the song is anchored in the stuff of relationships, of love and longing. Perfect for any playlist or cranking in your car as you are racing back to that airport hoping you get to your lover before she crosses that TSA barrier of doom.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
Andrea Franz is a Mexican American artist from Southern California. She started releasing songs in 2016 and has since been based in Mexico City and signed with Discos Panoram.
Her sound is described as "Sad Pop Rock". Mostly melancholic themes paired with upbeat, happy melodies. The majority of her musical influences are from the 60s and 70s, and their impact is noted in her modern Pop Rock style.
No comments:
Post a Comment