Francis Albert Machine
"I Love You and I Don't Want You To Die"
CD
Chocolate
Hearts
Genres: indie pop, lo-fi
Chocolate Hearts
PO Box 554
Philadelphia PA
19105
Oct 4 - 10 2004 |
Martin Tielli, Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev... Francis
Albert Machine can be likened to any or all of these, but no
comparison can accurately convey what I Love You and I Don't Want
You To Die really sounds like. Though this is a
singles and rarities compilation (1999-2004), it is remarkably
cohesive - nearly seamless in flow. FAM brings us a wide array of pop
tunes, comprised mostly of guitar, keyboard, and vocals (with occasional,
low-key percussion), and the resulting album is a powerful and
personal glimpse into the life of a talented bedroom recorder. Francis Albert Machine's songs are successful mainly due to
their simplicity - this genre's songs are often best when kept from becoming too complex. Tracks like "Either or
the Both of Us" and "Happy/Sadistic" rely on repeated
guitar lines and splendidly basic, infectious choruses. The
atmosphere is remarkable due to the coziness of the songs and the ambiance
of the keyboards, samples, and effects. This type of cinematic,
bedroom-style pop harkens back to some of Sparklehorse's work, with more of a lo-fi
flair, however. On the other hand, "The Smoking Gun" sounds very much like the two L'altra
albums I reviewed years ago.
I Love You and I Don't Want You To Die is exactly the type
of gem-filled pop treasure that lo-fi fans are searching for.
There are countless potential mixtape standards here, including a
charmingly touching acoustic rendition of "My Funny
Valentine." Hunt this one down.
87%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
26 tracks + 1 hidden, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |
