SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NEAL FRANCIS – RETURN TO ZERO

NEAL FRANCIS
RETURN TO ZERO
ATO RECORDS

Neal Francis made his debut in 2019, and his combination of funk, rock, and Americana made for an interesting and slightly retro sound. He has returned with his third album, Return To Zero (his first since the critically acclaimed and very successful 2021 album In Plain Sight. Over the years, he has refined his sound and developed into a strong writer and performer.  Return To Zero has his trademark melting pot of genres, with a production style that would not have been out of place in the 1970s. It is not retro but rather refreshing. Francis taps into sounds and the feeling of strong pop music (with funk, folk, and rock thrown in for good measure).

This is a very good ‘feel good’ album. If your foot is tapping with the second song, “Don’t Wait”, you might want to check for a pulse. It has a Level 42 vibe to it, but again, it is distinctly Neal Francis, and it sounds great. In fact, the entire album sounds fresh and alive. It has the perfect production and arrangement for the songs. Again, 1970s (and 1980s) music has been studied, and all the great bits have been pulled out and assembled with this album. The backing vocals on “Broken Glass”, for example, are perfect, subtle, and really help define the song. Francis produced the album with his long-time collaborator, Sergio A. Rios, and their decision to record with a band in the studio, rather than using technology to stitch the album together gives it the vibrant sound.

Perhaps the centrepiece of the album is the beautiful and moving “What’s Left Of Me” Written with songwriter Chris Gelbuda (Sabrina Carpenter, Meghan Trainor, Zac Brown Band), one cannot help but sense there is an autobiographical piece to the song. Unlike the other songs on the album, dance music gives way to singer/songwriter styles from the 1970s (think Jackson Browne). It is a refreshing song in the collection. However, throughout the album, Francis is able to demonstrate his smooth and emotive voice while at the same time, his voice conveys that he is enjoying every single word he is singing.

The album ends with the truly unique title track, a very short synthesizer instrumental. It seems the perfect way to bring the album to a close. It is, in some ways, an odd way to end the album but what it does is bring the programme to an end. Almost like the music one hears as they are exiting a music theatre after a great performance. And that is how Return To Zero feels. It is like a show/concert of a very entertaining and talented artist. Return To Zero is not a zero and will be the soundtrack for many people’s summers.

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