Record Review: Robert Francis

Are there too may singer/songwriters in the world? Maybe. But who cares? It’s the execution that matters — the ability to make that “man and his guitar” image really work.
Robert Francis certainly falls within the myriad of individuals who have taken the weight of the world on their shoulders and proceeded to sing about it. Yet, he manages to find some light in that weary form, clothing his soothing baritone in a wardrobe of soft-spoken lyrics, plucking guitars, whining slides and bouncing keys. “Mama Don’t Come” is one of those staple tracks that hooks you in with a simple yet tempting catchiness. But Francis fails in the usual repetitiveness and lack of tonal range that come with the territory he so boldly enters. That being said, however, he plays the part well. Maybe it’s that raspy Springsteen twinge, maybe it’s the few gems among the rough; all in all, the guy did his job.