Hannah Frances albums
2024
Keeper of the Shepherd - 86%
There are some artists that get by on the power of their voice alone, and there are some that get by on having a band that remains unpredictable and special all the way through. With the newest album by Hannah Frances, you get both. Opening track “Brownyn” has a time signature that would take a mathematician to explain, but somehow the voice of Frances floats along and carries us through making it super accessible. Frances has an odd power to entrance the listener, much in the vein of Jesca Hoop or maybe a more eccentric Neko Case – or even Nico? Frances can SING but she is not a show off, she stays true to what her chamber ensemble band is doing and they all work together in unison, creating the folk rock shuffle of “Keeper of the Shepherd” or the back an forth emotional rollercoaster of “Vacant Families”.
She also perhaps above all has the power to haunt us. “Haunted Landscape Echo Cave” sort of spells out its intentions and works as an album closer even if it’s a bit ramshackle in form. Above all, “Husk” is one of the most powerful vocal rock statements of the year, using overlapping and loops to a hypnotic effect and reaching for the supreme depths of the soul; that song along is worth the price of the album! At only seven songs, each having their own sort of personality, Frances joins the ranks of Hannah Marcus, Joanna Newsom, and the above-mentioned female artists that reach for new forms of songcraft and have wild ambitions. Make no mistake- Frances is one to watch in the near future for amazing music.
Best Songs: husk, keeper of the shepherd, vacant families
2025
Nested In Tangles - 81%
Coming only a year after her last masterwork, which is much faster than the average band these days and quite refreshing, comes the 4th album by Frances and it is perhaps the most abstract. Somehow 43 minutes seems like twice as long when listening (in a good way!). Songs tend to be shorter than the previous record, but no less effective when they are- the bombastic “A Body A Map” is a great example. The passion is not as naked and spiritual as before, but Frances has somehow melded her emotions to the mostly acoustic instruments themselves. “Life’s Work” has a positive message and catchy chorus, about the only one you will find on the album, but it is a nice throwback to a sort of jazz influenced folk/country blend. “Beholden To” is maybe a slight bit of filler, though it is sort of lovely as well in its own way, as the funny vocal effects add some humor. “Falling From and Further” even has some pedal steel and gives the illusion of a new Joni Mitchell at work….but don’t be fooled by the laid back presence, it doesn’t last long as the song mutates uncontrollably and gallops back and forth.
The songs that continue to extend over five minutes and reach into unexplored territories remain fascinating- as this is no mere folk/rock/progressive hybrid alone but a new language altogether. “Surviving You” a song that constantly runs behind itself, is played off balance to the point where it SHOULDN’T make any logical sense, but is somehow fairly easy to follow and catchy. “The Space Between” is some magical blend of Joanna Newsom and Julia Holter, while adding an element brand new as well- as abstract as Julianna Barwick; the song comes to a logical conclusion, then restarts and keeps going. Daniel Rossen from Grizzly Bear helps out on some of these tunes, and his influence can be felt. “Steady in the Hand” tries to be the emotional center like “Husk” was from the last record, but doesn’t quite achieve the same emotional catharsis- it’s more like a folk ballad given to a tree or something. The title track “Nested in Tangles” hardly uses words, its more like the vocal experimentation of sounds and “la’s and ya’s” to evoke emotions; quite the daring opener- some will run for cover and not even listen to another track, I am sure.
Closer “Heavy Light” doesn’t even try to make sense, overlapping guitars and light drumming with touch of bassoon and other chamber instruments mix with abstract-spoken vocals crafting a friendly sort of cacophony. Unlike what she has created before, the music is beautiful but pushing towards a new language and quite a bit of the time it achieves an odd synthesis of folk music wisdom and mathematical analysis of the nature around Hannah Frances’ fun musical mind.
Best Songs: surviving you, life’s work, the space between