Music Review: Mr Pain Francis Jocky And Franco African Soul Music - Page 2

This is very much heart on the sleeve stuff, but not in the sentimental and saccharine style that prevails in pop music today. This is real and heartfelt stuff, whether he's talking about the state of the world or interpersonal relationships. What separates him from the general pool of pop music schlock is his ability to avoid cliché in his lyrics and integrate more than just the regular pop arrangements into his songs.

He uses simplicity of lyric and repetition to emphasis a point rather than melodramatically emoting in a vocal range well beyond comfort for himself and his listener. On the song "Tell Me Why", which questions the values of people who would let children starve to death while they seek personal fortunes, the lines "Tell me why, tell me why, tell me why" are followed by "must they cry, must they cry, must they cry." The way they are sung elevates them beyond their simple appearance on paper and pulls the listener into the depths of the questioner's despair and frustration.

Of course the major reason those lyrics work so well is the central feature of Mr Jocky's arsenal as a performer; his voice. Highly trained, with superb control, he can change his vocal expression with the ease that most other performers change costumes. From soft as velvet expressions of love, pleas for understanding, to declamations of intent he is equally comfortable.

Musically he diverges from the norm with his near jazz like arrangements that allow for a far greater range of expression than what is considered Soul or Rhythm and Blues these days. Instead of either mellow funk or electro-orchestrated melodrama his music has real emotional body. Electronics are utilized but as augmentation and accentuation to what has been created by the band.

Francis himself is a gifted keyboard player, having started playing piano when he was twelve, so his own contributions extend beyond just being the vocalist in the band. On various tracks he can be found playing percussion, keyboards, guitar, and drums. Being a multitalented instrumentalist obviously is an asset for him when he is composing his songs. Their musical complexity reflects his understanding of how he can utilize various instruments to achieve the effects he desires.

Article Author: Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of the What Will Happen In Eragon IV? and The Unofficial Heroes Of Olympus Companion, both published by Ulysses Press. He has had his work published in print and online all over the world including the German edition of Rolling Stone Magazine and www.Qantara.de. …

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