After 2021’s In Plain Sight veered (typically splendidly) towards environment friendly, tightly wound energy pop, Neal Francis is again in his ingredient on the brand new Return To Zero (ATO), unleashing the funk in a feverish embrace of ’70s-era soul and R&B. Co-produced by Francis and common collaborator Sergio Rios, the album was recorded reside within the studio with members of the band he’s been touring with nearly nonstop for 3 years. And whereas he nonetheless is aware of his approach round a hook, Francis provides the preparations some air as he finds his solution to the dancefloor. In Plain Sight was extra cerebral. Return To Zero goals for the groin.
Francis fleshes out every observe under.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Already Gone”
“It is a tune I wrote on the piano with my buddy Elliot Bergman. My songs usually don’t have a cohesive narrative, so we tried to inform a narrative of a relationship’s final dance, together with the acquainted trope of a blindsided lover placing the items again collectively whereas alone in a lodge room the subsequent day. I spend lots of time alone in motels, so it was straightforward to conjure that feeling. With the manufacturing on this one, I used to be aiming for late-’70s FM pop just like the Eagles, Elton John and ELO. Kellen Boersma organized the killer ‘guitarmony’ on the prime of the tune.”
2) “Don’t Wait” (Feat. Say She She)
“This tune had a really completely different groove in my demo. The locked bass and guitar half featured all through received rearranged by Mike Starr and Kellen Boersma, and it actually drives the tune. I had an opportunity to rearrange strings for the primary time on this one, too. Of all of the songs on the report, I really feel like this one comes closest to attaining the sound I used to be looking for. I drew inspiration from George Clinton, Stylish, Roy Ayers and Chicago’s personal Common Togetherness Band.”
3) Want You Once more” (Feat. Say She She)
“That is about being away out of your lover—the bodily sensation of lacking somebody whenever you haven’t seen them for some time. I used to be out late dancing in Chicago one night time and got here to the studio missing sleep the subsequent day. The groove is influenced by George Clinton, Hamilton Bohannon and different late-’70s proto-house music.”
4) “150 Extra Instances”
“I wrote this one with Elliot one advantageous afternoon in L.A. I used to be impressed to make a bit of boogie-rock tune after I heard a loop on his Optigan—an instrument from the ’60s that’s like a primitive sampler. The lyrics are about having an unhealthy attachment to somebody, obsessing over them and contacting them again and again, opposite to the recommendation of mates, household and therapists. Glad to say I’ve by no means had any issues in that division … Sheesh, sounds horrible, proper?”
5) “What’s Left Of Me”
“We knocked this out in a apply room at Chicago’s Nice Arts Constructing on Michigan Avenue—simply me and (Nashville-based songwriter) Chris Gelbuda, a guitar and a grand piano. We have been aiming for one thing that seemed like Jeff Lynne, and I believe we received shut sufficient. It existed solely as a piano/vocal iPhone voice memo till the L.A. recording classes. It was the final tune we tracked. I tracked the vocals at residence in Chicago and did the Moog components there as effectively. Daniel Villarreal added some last-minute percussion to the observe. I reside in his outdated condominium. Thanks, Daniel!”
6) “Damaged Glass” (Feat. Say She She)
“This tune was born out of a jam session with Michael Shuman. He was on drums, and I used to be enjoying bass. Michael is a good producer, and it was the primary time I’d met him. I left with a whole tune and a killer demo. The lyrics have been primarily based on some freeform materials I’d written down a few sub/dom relationship and taking instructions within the bed room.”
7) “Again It Up”
“I wished to make one thing that was purely enjoyable, danceable and light-weight. I constructed up a bit of groove, and the lyrics to the hook got here first. It took some time to rearrange the tune and get the lyrics feeling good, however there’s not likely a lot to it—only a enjoyable sendup of the disco stuff I like, plus David Bowie, Electrical Gentle Orchestra, Brian Ferry, Ian Dury.”
8) “Dance Via Life”
“This got here out of a raft of demos I accomplished with Sergio Rios in 2022. It was one of many strongest instrumental concepts from that session, nevertheless it took some time to get the lyrics. I saved modifying them on tour. The hook on the finish of the tune got here to me whereas within the bathe. On the time, I had been listening to lots of Alan Watts’ talks, so it bears that affect thematically.”
9) “Soiled Little Secret (feat. Carlile)”
“My buddy Carlile and I wrote this tune collectively through the pandemic. I had an thought for the hook, and she or he provided up some poetry she’d written down in her pocket book for the verses. For some time, it existed as a demo with piano, MS-20 and drums. A number of these parts made it into the ultimate model of the tune.”
10) “Can’t Get Sufficient”
“A collaboration with my buddy Blake Rhein. He and I recorded all of the devices—other than the strings, which have been carried out by Oliver Hill. On this tune, I had one other probability to rearrange for violins, which I actually loved. I hope to include extra orchestral devices into my future productions. Rhea (a.okay.a. Ashley Otis) elevated the complete tune together with her vocal efficiency and gave it much more of the Roy Ayers really feel I used to be searching for.”
11) “Return To Zero”
“Initially, this observe was meant to function an outro to ‘What’s Left Of Me,’ nevertheless it received shuffled to the again of the deck, so to talk. It was written, recorded and combined all in the identical day—a primary for me.”
See Neal Francis reside.
