JW Francis is an artist for whom I have endless respect. From my few interactions with him, I can tell you he is an excellent man, very caring and joyful, and overwhelmingly in love with his craft. I mean, the man hasn’t had an address of his own in three years, partially due to living on the road while learning to drive so that he could travel the country doing what he was born to do; share his art with the world. Traveling miles with his newly learned skills, he would embark on what he dubbed his “Dream Tour,” categorized by only playing shows in the most unconventional venues, from glass-blowing studios to retirement homes, if there were an area to set up an amp, and ample room for Francis to spin on the floor with his guitar, he’d perform. I was lucky enough to attend a stop along the Dream Tour and witness his performance on the top of a Brooklyn rooftop while the Sun dipped below the New York skyline, and I have been closely following the ex-NYC Tour Guide ever since.
When not on tour, Francis is continuously seeking the unknown, hiking 1,500 miles in 123 days across the Appalachian Trail where the nickname of SUNSHINE was bestowed upon him by fellow hikers. Having entered the wilderness with his pack and an open mind, he'd spend his days navigating the trees and meeting fellow hikers dispersed all along the magnificent Appalachian Mountains. His deep appreciation of nature fueled the journey, but luckily his love and language of music let the feeling of the lively trails linger in our heads long after his adventure concluded. Following his release from the wild, he would share his fourth musical child, boasting his trail name, SUNSHINE, which has shined bright since its release on October 11th to the Philly-based Born Losers Records label.
The album’s opener, “Orbit,” is a perfect tone set and an example of every aspect of Francis’ music that sticks with me. I honestly have a hard time reviewing it as I keep having to stop typing, sing a little bit, and then restart the song to repeat the process over again. Its intriguing beginning oscillation of synth sounds is quickly followed by a building crescendo of layered guitar riffs that explode into the full sound of Francis’ iconic voice professing the many different ways he wishes he could express his love toward his muse. I can’t convey how much his music just feels good. It’s a loosey-goosey flow of notes that makes me unable to sit still and slaps a stupid smile on my face to be stuck with for the remainder of each song. It’s full of his guitar-focused indie pop sound that has categorized his music since the beginning, overflowing through each of his albums which act as stepping stones to better and better sound curated by the curly-haired city singer.
“Pretending,” another standout on the album, begins with a sliding guitar riff that carries the quick and clever lyrics that follow. Discussing meeting up in a fantasy-protected place and making it a reality, Francis incorporates what sounds like a voicemail right in the middle of the song, lending itself perfectly to the feeling of nostalgia that haunts the album. The lo-fi sound that has become a staple in his songs helps them, “sound good but still bad like [Francis] like(s) it.” I imagine Francis wandering the sticks and reminiscing on life’s many adventures, pondering what has come, what’s here, and what’s to happen, and I find myself doing the same. “Perfect days will haunt you, memories that want you,” Francis serenades a repetitious howling note and chorus that allow the mind to wander through the trails of your memory, digging up things you haven’t seen in years to re-explore with a fresh perspective. Once finished the song fades out to silence, bringing back one last isolated riff to cap the experience and tap you onto the next trail.
“Coming Up For Air” carries the same joyous sound, but bittersweetly contradicts itself with vulnerable and intimate lyrics. Exploring the idea of self-growth that feels like waking up after a massive change in yourself, that feels like breathing that sweet new air, soon tainted by the things you cannot change or control, things you’ll miss out on, and things you miss the feeling of, things you’re now aware of because you have changed so much from your old self. It’s a wonderfully written thought piece that emulates his book of poems, which were written about his observations of people from his time spent as a tour guide in New York City. The poetry book, sharing the name as his debut album, We Share A Similar Joy, can be found in audiobook format on his Spotify read by the singer himself. If you’re looking to get into his discography, I’d highly recommend just hitting shuffle on his profile, it serves as a great way to hear a range of his music interspersed with interesting thought pieces from the collection of Rupi Kaur-esque thought pieces before tossing you back into his musical realm. Francis is great at observing the world around him and finding a way to express what he sees not just through his lyrics and the written word, but the overall package of his songs and albums.
Another example of this excellent songwriting would be the overly fun “Turtle Power” that graces the last third of the album. It’s a mood-lifting song with catchy riffs that echo through its runtime, a great mini solo that rears its head every so often before screaming into the song’s closing, and a chorus that seriously lodges itself between your ears with how fun and youthful it feels on the surface. My interpretation is that his “Turtle Power” is his ability to overcome the fear in life that holds us back from reaching our potential by just taking it one step at a time, slow and steady. “What a life to behold, you’ve got powers that you don’t even know,” you have the potential in you for great things as long as you just begin and continue that slow creeping progress that takes you to all new places.
Trying to describe each track's sounds, I keep returning to the album’s title, SUNSHINE. The album has an overwhelming feeling akin to that warm Sun glowing off your skin, and heading into those cold, dark winter months, this album will be replayed heavily to keep the interiors of my walls filled with warmth. It’s a well-crafted love letter to partners, family, nature, memories, and just life itself. It feels good to put on and be reminded of so much that I take for granted, things that I just couldn’t live without. It’s what his music always does for me. When I was first upon that rooftop in Brooklyn and heard for myself the music that Francis creates, everything just felt like it was going to be okay and that things would fall into place. Whenever I’m overwhelmed by the world, his music is able to talk me back down and get me grooving. SUNSHINE has just added twelve new tracks to his arsenal to do the same, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the release. It has taken everything I found impressive about his discography and expanded it into something even better. JW Francis is an artist that I am so excited to see grow. He is truly destined for great things, and I will be cheering him on the entire way. Great job JW.
