New Video: Robert Francis, ‘Little Girl’

 

Robert Francis recalls the voice of simpler and more truthful era when people were crazier and sang about things that mattered. Maybe that’s because his debut album “One By One” was recorded and released a month shy of his 20th birthday, or maybe it’s because of his unique musical childhood.

Growing up in Los Angeles as the youngest in a family of musicians, Robert possesses a maturity far beyond his twenty-one years. From the time he was born, he was surrounded by music of all genres thanks to his eccentric classical-record-producer and pianist father, a Mexican mother who loved Ranchero songs, and two older sisters who were in various rock bands that played in clubs all over the city.

At an early age Robert showed a tremendous musical gift and was known around school as a guitar-playing prodigy. He could also play any other instrument he picked up, and did so on his first record, playing everything from drums, banjo, bass, piano and mandolin to his most natural instrument, the guitar. Ry Cooder gave him a vintage National when he was only nine, and John Frusciante took him on as his only student when he was sixteen.

 

One By One, the debut album from L.A. native Robert Francis is deceptively simple and sparse — unexpected considering his contributions to the record were not limited to guitar and vocals, but also included percussion, piano, banjo, glockenspiel and bass. Despite this multi-instrumentation, the album never overwhelms, but provides space for his often heartbreaking lyrics to breathe. Through his gravelly voice and artful songwriting, Francis presents us with songs of loss, heartache and nostalgia with an authenticity that is startling for his young age.

Here’s the video >

Directed by Max Goldblatt. The video to the worldwide smash hit track Little Girl. Enjoy!

~ by Ayan on October 13, 2009.