Stylishly minimalist in both identity and design, Franki’s two-track EP devotes itself to sentiments of the past year, and leads with sublime, soulful vocals and ambient to funk-kissed production.
Faultless performances make up the highlights of this brief yet striking project, A Train starting things off on an immense high and captivating for these long-form, poetic musings; the likes of which feel both deeply personal and accessible in imagery and relatability.
Franki keeps things interesting at every step, not confined to ambient or RnB flavors, branching out towards hip hop and funk in subtle doses, whilst employing equally humble dashes of sound-design that further the atmospheric embrace of the completed work.
Ultimately the vibe is easy to get into, the performance compelling and impressive. Underneath this we get a brilliantly original sense of poetry and story – lyrics that provoke thought and indeed get you feeling the strong desire to replay things and recapture these ideas and intentions.
The second half of the EP offers a different kind of mood, soulful electric guitar meeting with trap rhythms and a breathy, distant voice, for an ethereal yet still notably emotive progression.
Here we get a stronger sense of connection, despite the vocal quietness – the repeating lyrics that open things up feel profoundly personal yet accessible, and the melody is soothing; allowing the words to reach out with all the more poignancy.
Slowly but surely Franki raises the passion, the voice evolving from mere whispers through bolder outbursts and falsetto peaks alike. Meanwhile the guitar loops on, the beat continues, and those simple yet effective production traits continue to envelop the listener in this heartfelt realm of contemplation.
Really beautiful music, in short – from a defiantly talented artist with a refreshing way of framing things in both lyric and style. Hopefully there’s plenty more to look forward to from Franki in 2023.
Check out Franki on Instagram.
