Frances – Things I’ve Never Said

Pop | Folk

55%

There are plenty of artists that I follow from early on in their careers, and I eagerly await their debut albums after supporting them for so long. Unfortunately there seems to be a trend recently wherein the magic that wins me over in the early singles and EPs is lost when it comes to the debut. Usually it’s down to overly polished production, an abundance of filler tracks, and a hesitance to take risks. Sadly this first release from Frances is one of the most clear examples when it comes to first album teething problems. It starts off well, the opening track ‘Don’t Worry About Me’ begins with just her voice, emotive and vulnerable, before building up to become a powerful piano ballad. From here on however, the magic is lost.

The rest of the album has it’s moments, her big hit ‘Grow’ and album closer ‘The Last Words’ being the highlights, but overall it’s not what you want to hear from such a talented singer/songwriter. The album focuses far too much on creating a perfect pop sheen, but in this style of music it’s the little mistakes, the cracks of emotion that gives the music heart. A brand new teddy bear doesn’t mean half as much as the beaten up old relic that’s been a friend for as long as you can remember. With the production so pristine and uniform the tracks just blend together and all too often fail to connect. Things I’ve Never Said is a poor reflection of Frances’ talent and I hope we get chance to see her shine in future releases.