The Franklys
ComeDown
(Electric Wood Records)
Is there room in your life for an international all-female spirited rock combo who write their own material around a weave of contrasting guitar tones, pumping basslines and Velvets/Cramps-style drumwork? This is an outfit that should be heard or better still experienced in a live setting…
American drummer Nicole Pinto takes an engine-room role, whacking the snare in double time at points. Bassist Zoe Biggs, from England’s northwest puts her Hofner bass through its paces, blending power and melody. Lead singer Jennifer Ahlkvist, now of blond locks has a distinctive semi-goth vocal style and plays guitar, sprinkling spidery solo’s into the mix here and there. The second Swede in the lineup is a whirlwind of hair, slashing chords, howling reverb and sustain, name of Fanny Broberg, again using a Hofner (Verithin) as weapon of choice. Hands up, I am not a little fascinated with her fretwork and emphasis, as it’s a million miles from my own laconic sound range. Care is taken to separate the guitar parts for true dynamics, but more of this when we run our backstage chat with the band members which draws them out on influences and gear, avoiding any obvious ‘Women In Rawk’ clichéd nonsense. A band is a band, right?
ComeDown is a new single and chugging guitars lead us into the sparking drums and an insistent Jen vocal with a tinge of an energised Nico. Relentless bass tumbles along square on the beat. As they all sing together one of the guitars takes a cruise across time before the punchy chording whacks back @ 2:35. Distilled anger not lacking melody..it’s an intriguing musical area somewhere between The Runaways and Lacuna Coil
Support cut on this release is Long Way, a solemn-paced number set to tremolo amp guitar and an emphatic bass part, drums held back for maximum impact. Quite a haunting song which Siouxsie, for example, would likely have over-sung. This however is just right and nevertheless builds to an impassioned coda. The trilling guitar playout would have secured the late Lou Reed’s approval.
Dark music, but hearts beat therein…
This is the Kafka-esque promotional video for ‘ComeDown’:
Pete Sargeant
The Franklys will be performing a headline show at The Borderline, London, United Kingdom on Thursday 26th May 2016 and are available here: http://bit.ly/1MDFCjF
For more information on The Franklys visit their official website here: http://bit.ly/1MVHyPg
(Thanks to The Franklys, Matt The Man and Dave)
