Frankie & The Heartstrings remind me of the Arctic Monkeys. I hasten to add not in musical style; Frankie sways too much onto the pop side of the indie spectrum to be thrown into the same category as the more rock-orientated Monkeys. I mean in the style and feel of their songs; there is an innocence and a lyric that could have come straight off of 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'; stories straight from lad's nights out. And it's fantastic.
'Hunger' is a happy-go-lucky track about having fun and starting a band, stories directly from the streets of Sunderland where the band grew up. Lyrics such as ‘well it’s about time that we made a stand/and start playing together in our own band’, and ‘we’re waiting outside/for you to come out tonight’ are what made the Arctic Monkeys sensational in their own time, but have Frankie & The Heartstrings got the melodic pull of their predecessors?
In short, yes. As I said previously, it's not as rocky as the Monkeys but it is a magnificent gem of indie pop. With joyous 'oh, oh, oh's', an excitable beat, infectious guitars and an all-round energetic performance, it is topped off by a vocal from front man Frankie Francis that drifts between The Maccabees and Jack Penate. Complete with a nostalgic Blue Peter-style video, it's a great bit of pop that stands them in great stead for the anticipated release of their album, similarly entitled 'Hunger', next week.
Frankie & The Heartstrings have picked up their fair bit of publicity in recent weeks, most notably from the usual suspects of BBC Radio One and NME, but from this snippet it is more than deserved. It's enthusiasm is contagious and it's one of those that stays in your head for hours, but still a great listen after twenty plays. It only heightens the excitement surrounding the album release. Bring on Monday.
And here, complete with the oddly-fantastic video, is 'Hunger' from Frankie & The Heartstrings.
NWR
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