Customer Reviews

One By One

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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.

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

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!

Incredible depth and imagery. This is one of my all time favorite albums. Robert conveys a lifetime of emotion. It is impossible to simply listen to his music. You end up experiencing it. I am blown away that his music is so mature and he is only 19.

This album is hands down one of my favorite albums of all time. We stumbled across the Robert Francis Band when he opened for Missy Higgins in Baltimore, where we bought the album. We played it so much, we literally wore it out and had to buy it again. Robert Francis pours his heart and soul into this album, and even after listening to it hundreds of times, it still gives me chills.