22 June 2023 Reviews
The latest from Cut Throat Francis is a new and upbeat single entitled ‘I Want Your Money Back’. The track starts off with a rhythmic and cheery build of instruments, with all instruments blending into a chorus before mellowing into a gentle vocal introduction. The lower energy is short-lived with all the instruments returning to provide us with an excitable and folky track to dance along to.
On the new release, the group says, “We’re all older now and you can tell. In the past, our songs were about drinking too much, going raving and other exciting young people things. Now as we struggle to stay awake past 9:30PM because we've fallen asleep watching Corrie; we’re singing about truly important old people topics such as assembling flat packs, trying not to spend all our money on takeaways because we have depressingly expensive bills. It is truly the relatable escapism we all crave for in this dystopian nightmare.
This first single gives a taste of what’s to come. We’ve really doubled down in wrapping up our message in layers of metaphor and instrumentals because we are very smart music men. What does "Whistles ring backward" mean? We don't even know! An actual smart music man, Jim Barr at Bristol's J&J studios has helped us go a bit weirder with the production this time and we’re really excited by it! It'll probably make you feel young again.”
Cut Throat Francis writes songs about failing to be successful, responsible grown-ups on folk instruments, with upbeat Eastern European flavours and the occasional swing rhythm. Interactive and raucous, the four-piece juggle ten instruments to create their signature style. Hailing from Bristol, their personal and genuine approach to writing is refreshing and endearing.
The energy you can find in Cut Throat Francis’ music is not something you can find everyday in today’s music scene. Their Balkan Swing sentiments paired with all-too-relatable lyrics make them a fun listen and give listeners a spike of hope, optimism and youthfulness.