Francis Trouble is the fourth solo album by Albert Hammond Jr released on March 9, 2018, through Red Bull Records.[2] The album is named after Hammond's twin brother Francis who his mother miscarried in 1980 and was described as "a homage to both the death of his twin and his own birth, as well as the complexities of identity that arise because of their intermingling." [3]
| Francis Trouble | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 9, 2018 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, garage rock, post-punk revival[1] | |||
| Length | 35:42 | |||
| Label | Red Bull Records | |||
| Producer | Gus Oberg | |||
| Albert Hammond Jr. chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Francis Trouble | ||||
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It was announced alongside the release of the single "Muted Beatings", which was described by NME as "optimising Hammond’s knack for huge guitar-pop hooks but laden with intricacies aplenty."[3]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 73/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Clash | 6/10[6] |
| DIY | [7] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7.5/10[8] |
| NME | [9] |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10[10] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[1] |
| Rolling Stone |  [11] |
Francis Trouble received generally favorable reviews according to Metacritic who assigned the album an average score of 73, based on 11 critics.[4] Critics praised the album's energy and its "emphasis on melody and propulsion above all else."[1]
Many also praised the inspiration from a wide amount of different genres including on the song 'Screamer' described by NME as "frenetic surf-rock."[9] However, others were critical towards the album with Rolling Stone criticizing its short length and describing it as forgettable.[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dvsl" | 2:58 | |
| 2. | "Far Away Truths" | Albert Hammond Jr. & Tyler Parkford | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Muted Beatings" | Hammond Jr, Parkford & Jennifer Decilveo | 3:17 |
| 4. | "Set to Attack" | 3:28 | |
| 5. | "Tea for Two" | Hammond Jr & Parkford | 4:09 |
| 6. | "Stop and Go" | 3:53 | |
| 7. | "Screamer" | 2:31 | |
| 8. | "Rocky's Late Night" | 4:17 | |
| 9. | "Strangers" | 3:44 | |
| 10. | "Harder, Harder, Harder" | 3:47 | |
| Total length: | 35:42 | ||
Personnel
editCredits taken from AllMusic[12]
Musicians
- Albert Hammond Jr. – vocals, guitar
- Hammarsing Kharhmar – guitar
- Colin Killalea – guitar, saxophone
- Jordan Brooks – bass guitar
- Jeremy Gustin – drums
Additional personnel
- Gus Oberg – producer, mixing
- Joe LaPorta – mastering engineer
- Liz Hirsch – design, illustrations
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[13] | 6 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[14] | 25 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Korber, Kevin (March 29, 2018). "Albert Hammond Jr: Francis Trouble (music review)". PopMatters. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ Kaye, Ben (February 2, 2018). "Albert Hammond Jr. announces new album, Francis Trouble, shares "Muted Beatings": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (February 2, 2018). "Albert Hammond Jr unveils huge new single 'Muted Beatings' and announces new album 'Francis Trouble'". NME. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ a b "Francis Trouble by Albert Hammond, Jr. Reviews and Tracks - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ Skinner, Wilf (March 26, 2018). "Albert Hammond Jr. - Francis Trouble". Clash. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ Wright, Lisa (March 16, 2018). "Albert Hammond Jr - Francis Trouble". DIY. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ Loftin, Steven (March 5, 2018). "Francis Trouble by Albert Hammond Jr". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ a b Daly, Rhian (March 12, 2018). "Albert Hammond Jr - 'Francis Trouble' Album Review". NME. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ Cox, Jamieson (March 14, 2018). "Albert Hammond Jr.: Francis Trouble Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ a b Modell, Josh (March 29, 2018). "Review: The Voidz' 'Virtue,' Albert Hammond Jr.'s 'Fortune'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ "AllMusic Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ "Albert Hammond Jr Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "Albert Hammond Jr Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.