pete francis: so they say

JEREMY SCHMIDT

Despite the accompaniment of a session drummer and bassist—and the hard percussion and electric guitar on a few songs—Francis relies primarily on his songwriting skills and acoustic guitar to keep So They Say afloat. On the soothing "Father Rose," Francis demonstrates his talent for poetic lyrics, while the mix of heavy drums with Francis' acoustic guitar on "Burning the River" creates a fuller sound. The latter is by far the most complete song on the album, and it's unfortunate that Francis doesn't use this winning combination of acoustic guitar and rock percussion effectively throughout the album. Similar percussion supports Francis' electric guitar on "During the Storm," but the mixture fails on the uninteresting "Train Window" and isn't employed at all on the purely folk songs. Francis is certainly capable of writing a good folk song: the beautifully simple "Carry You," augmented by an organ, is the album's hidden gem. But, except for the catchy "If I May" and the poetic finale "So They Say," the rest of the album's folkier songs are similar and forgettable.

Although he could learn from his band's willingness to try out different sounds, Francis' solo endeavor isn't just an empty Dispatch album. So They Say has a unique charm that's only lost when songs start blending together near the end of the album. Francis has discovered a distinct, mellow sound that merits time away from the boys. (Scrapper) 

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