I started last year singing the praises of ‘Life’s a Glitch’ by Frankie and the Studs. Over the past 12 months, Frankie Clarke and Frankie Salazar formed another band, with Frankie Salazar being the main songwriter in Los Frankies. What immediately jumps out is the chemistry between the two Frankies to create another awesome album. I have lived with this album for over a month, and it has only become stronger. ‘Life’s a Glitch’ was put together by Frankie Clarke over several years with a mix of previously released and new songs. This debut is all new songs outside of a cover that slots perfectly into the flow of the album. ‘D.E.D. City’ provides a sonic journey over the course of its half hour, utilising a variety of musical touches and leaving them open to whatever rocking musical avenues they want to explore in the future.
Lead single ‘I’m on Drugs’ explodes out of the speakers with a healthy dose of rock n roll attitude. There is not a second wasted in its two minutes, with the ‘I’m on drugs’ chant providing an immediate singalong, but the chorus where the two Frankies sing together is perfection. They don’t let up with ‘Dog City’ where they take an excellent old 70’s glam style beat and layer it with some snotty vocals and cutting guitars. The band transitions into the one cover on the album, ‘Sugar Town,’ where the rhythm reminds me of something from the sleazier musical well Faster Pussycat channelled way back in the day. I would love to hear the band do these live.
The punk-infused rock n roll continues with ‘Gunna Wanna’, where the brief post-chorus reminds me of the rocking side of My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult and should be destined to be the theme song to a gritty spy thriller movie. Wrapping up the first half of the album, ‘Snake Eyes’ demonstrates some restraint while still planting a chorus in the listener’s head. Musically, this would be in the same punch bowl as Earth Eighteen.
One of the remarkable things about this album is that on the first listen or two, the first few songs hint at a straightforward rock n roll album, but when you look back later, there are signs that this album can go a lot of directions. The flipside kicks off with the dark ‘Kick the Stool’ where the rhythm section shines. The song builds into an explosive, but insidious chorus filled with anger. The guitar solo slices its way through the mix. ‘Company Man’ explodes out of the speakers with a punk rage about the worst jobs we have ever experienced. If the speaker from the Supersuckers’ song ‘How to Maximise You Kill Count’ had eventually found work, this would be his new mantra.
The last part of the album continues the musical unfolding as Los Frankies continue to go down new musical alleys. ‘Holy Games’ features great guitar work, with the song slowing down for the chorus to crank up the heaviness. Vocally, this one shines as well. The slow brooding ‘Death to the King’ provides a great total change of pace to the album, where Los Frankies show off how well their vocals work together in the chorus. This one earns extra marks at night, where the vibe hits even stronger. Closing out the album is another song that provides yet another surprise with ‘Far Away (S.F.S.C)’, initially reminding me a bit of where the Replacements ended. The melody-filled chorus demands the listener to sing or at least hum along to it on first listen. The guitars provide their own hook by themselves. The musical journey from ‘I’m on Drugs’ to here showcases how far the band can go in about 30 minutes.
If there is a fault to the album, it’s the songs are on the shorter side, which just means the album goes on repeat. The musical chemistry leaps out of the speakers and makes this album demand continued airings. Each time I think I might have a favourite song, it tends to change. This album bleeds personality, charisma, danger, and great hooks. Los Frankies have delivered an awesome debut. Now, people need to hear it.
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Author: Gerald Stansbury
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