Stream: Francisco the Man, ‘Progress’

Kevin Bronson on
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franciscotheman

Going on five years after we first met Francisco the Man, the Los Angeles quartet is releasing its debut album – and as we suspected from the beginning, it’s arena-ready. Titled “Loose Ends,” the album builds on the baby steps that the band – singer-guitarist Scotty Cantino, bassist Néstor Romero, guitarist-keyboardist Brock Woolsey and drummer Abdeel Ortega – has taken on releases dating to 2010 (and earlier, considering FTM’s deep roots as an instrumental rock band). Like their shoegazing brethren, Francisco the Man articulate all their pent-up yearning and tension with layers of reverberating guitars (and now, synths) ranging from lush to squalling. If you’re looking for reference points, think Built to Spill canoodling at the beach with ’90s British shoegazers and contemporary electro-poppers. There is, perhaps, a dint of irony in the atmospheric first single “Progress” – because if there’s one thing to which Francisco the Man can testify, it’s that progress is incremental. “Loose Ends” will be out Sept. 30 on Small Plates Records.

||| Stream: “Progress”

||| Previously: “In the Corners,” “Tiger,” “Broken Arrows”