Rough Francis - Urgent Care
In November of 2013, Youtube reviewer and podcaster Jason Campbell (JGC Sound) reviewed the 2009 album from Death called …For the Whole World to See, as well as an accompanying discussion on the amazing documentary from 2012: A Band Called Death. It was the story of three Detroit brothers in the 1970s that may have begun playing Punk before Punk existed. Some may query the The Stooges or MC5 on that claim, though if you listen to Fun House and …For The Whole World to See back to back, then you will hear that Death had a different aesthetic and attitude all together. Jason Campbell reviewed both extremely well, and summarised for viewers how truly remarkable the story of Death is, and that every fan of punk, or rock music should seek out both.
In 2006, three different brothers from Vermont began a band together called Rough Francis to continue the legacy of Death. Those three brothers happened to be the sons of the original Death member Bobby Hackney Snr, and obviously nephews of the rest. The Rough Francis drummer, Urian Hackney, filled in for Ben Koller (Converge) in 2019 while he was recuperating a broken elbow. And, it was in a mosh pit in Melbourne, Australia at the Download Festival where you could hear people saying: who the fuck is that drummer? how amazing is that drummer? What a beast on that kit!
It is funny how these connections sometimes happen. I had not listened to Death or seen that documentary for years, and it took a broken elbow to seek out discover the amazing Rough Francis - another band that every fan of Punk Rock music should be listening to in 2020. Their new album (and 3rd), Urgent Care was released on May 1st, and was recorded by Converge guitarist and producer Kurt Ballou.
Where Urgent Care differs to their previous albums is in its production. MSP3: Counter Attack (2018), and Maximum Soul Power (2014) was garage rock in its approach and sound, whereas Urgent Care has a little more of a rounded sound, and that is due to Kurt Ballou, but also there is an emphasis on writing and recording songs that are more fluid, consistent and cohesive. MSP3: Counter Attack was a brilliant second album, though it was not as immediate as their debut. MSP3 took a few listens to wrap your ears around the rhythms. And the good thing about Rough Francis (and Death) is that it doesn’t take long to accumulate multiple listens. Urgent Care is 18 minutes long, but you will want to play it over and over again, and it never tires - it is infectious - like the plague!
For a 18 minute album, it is packed with highlights. Whether it is the thundering loud bass on Teen Zombies that plays like a lead guitar; the nostalgic skateboard quality and shout out to Minor Threat on Waxed Curb; Bobby Jnr’s Whoo! On Urgent Care; Urian’s drum work on Giving Up, or the guitar riff on Microwaving, and the fire and passion in Bobby Jnr’s vocal. Microwaving is a really solid track that comes together well and really explodes at the end.
There is a certain haste to Urgent Care; it is over quick, and it leaves you wanting more; but that is what is required at the moment: urgency. It is not the time to sit back and hope things get better. Rough Francis are not overly political or controversial here, though there may be a bit of Trump on Giving Up, and a general societal frustration on Tito’s Revenge. On the whole, Urgent Care, despite its energy and vigour is more of a subtle attack on where we are at.
There is an authentic quality to Rough Francis that you do not hear in contemporary rock music. Urgent Care is an important album in a difficult time; a time when we need rock music more than ever. Rough Francis may not consider themselves an important band, but they are. They are a no frills punk rock band with a soul that runs deep, and a message to die for.