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Astral Fox Records [Release date 18.11.16]
The sophomore album by Cornish singer songwriter Joe Francis, who otherwise goes by the name of Winter Mountain (formerly a duo with Donegal’s Marty Smyth), is a mishmash of influences.
Featuring contributions from Seth Lakeman, the album kicks off with ‘Platinum And Gold’ which has vague Proclaimers undertones, while ‘Sunlight, Good Roads’ has hints of Chris De Burgh at his best, as does ‘Open Heart’.
Influenced by songwriters such as Springsteen, Petty and Neil Young, Francis’ own style is more bitter sweet – ‘The Morning Bell’ being pure Paul Simon territory, while ‘Dragonfly’ has another classic Simon acoustic line amidst some wonderfully sparse vocal, acoustic and cello interplay.
‘Banba’s Crown’, with some evocative fiddle playing courtesy of Niall Murphy is a fitting tribute to Francis’ Irish connections, while the piano ballad ‘Fireworks Nights (Promises We Make)’ closes the set on a suitably haunting note.
The male singer songwriter genre is an overflowing cup of talent, and they’re to be found as the opening act on many, many tours and Francis has opened for a few luminaries himself – including Guy Garvey, The Feeling, Seal, LeAnn Rimes, Patty Griffin, Paulo Nutini, and Fleet Foxes.
There’s much to be admired here, although whether I Swear I Flew is strong enough to place Winter Mountain/Joe Francis ahead of the pack is open to debate. ***1/2
Review by Pete Whalley
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