One By One

Robert Francis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Aeronaut Records
• ASIN: B000TJ715O
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,261 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Unlike most teenagers, Robert is not seduced by the decadent lifestyles of today's pop stars and has only disdain for the over produced empty songs on the radio. Writing and producing all his own material, he injects one hundred percent truth and emotion into each of his songs. He is often compared to a young Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle or Neil Young, and with this record One By One, Robert Francis fills a colossal void that had been desperately missing from this generation of musicians. Surely it will only be a matter of time before he is listed alongside his idols in other people's bios as one of the great American songwriters of his generation. Digipak

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb album from a 19-year-old, May 27, 2008

By 

Deanokat (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: One By One (Audio CD)

An incredible debut album from a 19-year-old kid. I heard the title track online and had to hear the whole album. I'm glad I bought this, because the entire album is just fantastic. I'm looking for great things to come from Robert Francis in the future. If he can be this good at 19, I can only imagine what he'll be like as he matures as a singer, songwriter, and human being. Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Immediate Release, October 16, 2007

By 

Ultimate Frisbee (Everywhere is everywhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One By One (Audio CD)

It would be an understatement to say that Francis' musicianship belies his young age, as some of One's best songs already harbor the rustic, world-weary quality that many artists spend their careers cultivating. Whether or not Francis has actually experienced the pastoral blues that color his lyrics is beyond the point; his dusty baritone and heartland imagery make the potential fib worthwhile. From the right-handed piano twinkles of opener "Mama Don't Come" to the gorgeously hypnotic, looping closer, there's an airy sense of space to these ten songs. Even the album's most ornate material -- the seven-minute title track, perhaps, with its climax of co-ed vocals and sweeping violin -- is allotted enough room to breathe. When the orchestration becomes lush, Francis usually swoops in with a musical reprieve, be it a momentary break in a riff's rhythm or a touch of reverb to widen the sound. Even more interesting is his love for subtle, esoteric flourishes: a dog barking in the middle of "The Devil's Mountains," right before the bluesy pedal steel gives way to mariachi horns; delayed violin in verse two of "Little Girl"; the church-like harmonies in "Dakota." It's impressive proof that Francis' self-appointment as producer isn't the result of some youthful ego trip, but rather the most logical choice for a penny-pinched teenager -- or, for that matter, anyone whose music mirrors these rustic folk-pop strains.

---Andrew Leahey, AMG

The L.A.-native, instead, subscribes to a brand of folk more in line with that of Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle and M. Ward, whose bright, gravely baritone Francis' most noticeably parallels. An incredibly gifted musician, who counts the drums, banjo, bass, piano, mandolin and guitar all as weapons of choice, he focuses more on traversing the minutiae of day-to-day life than on trying to change the world. Heartbreak finds its way into the bulk of the songs, but it's never precious to the point of nausea, which can't be said for most artists his age. As first efforts go, there's not much more you can ask for. Keep an eye on this kid.

--- Kevin Kampwirth, CMJ Music Review

The emotion he conveys while singing resembles that of a hardened performer who has been on the scene for decades, paying his dues in grimy bars where no one cared what he played. His songs are both depressing and uplifting. In my little world, that's better than perfect. So perfect, in fact, that I've listened to this record at least 10 times over the past two days.

--- Marc Vera, Entertainment Weekly

Usually, artists that bowl me over so easily are very few and far between, but today I have another soon-to-be star in Robert Francis. I first heard of the guy a few weeks ago when I was sent some samples of his work and, while I was instantly impressed with his sound, I was blown away by the fact that at 19 he produced his debut, One By One, and played just about every instrument imaginable in the process. If you've been looking for a reason to love singer/songwriters again, Robert is it.

--- John Laird, Side One: Track One

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talented newcomer, January 7, 2008

By 

Dora Fourcade (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One By One (Audio CD)

An enchanting CD by a new artist. Soft rock, beautiful lyrics, and Robert Fancis' voice. I particularly loved "One by One" and "Little Girl". Can't wait to hear the next one!