With Let's Get Naked, Mad Francis shows himself to be a real DIY music freak. Trust me, I don't mean freak in a negative way. I mean, this guy is a frrreak. Aside from the cello on "The Devotee", "I Believe I Suppose," and "Leaving the Way," Mad Francis plays every instrument on the album. He also mixed and mastered the album. "The Devotee" is an excellent example of MF's style. It is one layer of sound on top of another. From this song, it's easy to tell that he listened to a lot of classical music growing up.
"Recognition" opens with an acoustic guitar solo with a very classical sound. It progresses to something similar to a Foo Fighters song, then adds a layer of piano. It's a very complex song, not your typical verse/chorus/verse. But then, I'm not sure anything this guy performs can be considered typical.
At the beginning of "I Believe I Suppose" Mad Francis shows that his influences also extend into blues. I wouldn't call this a blues song, but the guitar in the verses is definitely steeped in the blues.
I am impressed with this CD. The vocals are solid and his musical ability is astonishing. Some might even call him a wunderkind. He writes lush, complex songs that are very enjoyable and he clearly is not interested in sounding like anyone else. At that he succeeds with flying colors. I expect a lot more good stuff from Mad Francis in the future.
The companion DVD shows Mad Francis performing his songs on a small stage, with only his guitar or his piano. The DVD gives a good glimpse into the musical talents of Mad Francis. I was especially impressed with the guitar solo in "I Believe I Suppose."
The DVD also features an interview with Mad Francis, who describes his music as melodic, rhythmically aggressive, pensive art rock. He also describes the origins of the name Mad Francis, the methods to his recording madness, and the music that helped to shape his style. It's a good look behind the music of this musical prodigy.
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