‘It’s All a Bit Fuzzy’ but I Know I had Fun - Neil Frances in Montreal.
Shot and written by Eva Lynch
October 22, 2023
Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD
If you feel like dancing, go listen to Neil Frances. Before the show I only knew a handful of songs, and made the mistake of writing them off as another new psychedelic pop band, yet even before the end of the first song I realized there was something fresh and unique about what they do. Their layered arrangements, which are grounded by groovy baselines and lush vocals, create an indisputable captivating performance. With their enveloping rhythms and serious guitar shredding, the duo composed of Jordan Feller and Marc Gilfry have tapped into the crossroads of laid-back indie with energetic electronic music. With echoes of other experimental and psychedelic-pop bands like Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and similar indie-electro pop bands like Jungle who similarly build up their sound during live performances with a full band, Neil Frances is definitely electronic, but their commitment to performing without tracks, meaning everything is being played or mixed live on stage, creates an electric energy where they thrive in the freedom of maintaining control over every part of a song.
As soon as they hit that stage the crowd started dancing and did not seem to be stopping anytime soon. From the back of the crowd, I even spied the audio engineer having the best time out of everybody, practically jumping in his booth at the back, fist pumping in the air as he cued each transition smoothly. At the beginning of the show, they mentioned how it was a full team production, with everything being done live, and it was clear how invested every member of that team was and how excited to be there they were. It was uplifting to see but also contributed to an atmosphere where the band completely came alive as soon as they stepped on stage. The show only continued to build in energy, allowing for powerful moments where the instrumentals simply took over, such as in “Ask Me Anything,” which ended with an intense guitar riff which had the crowd in its clutches.
Neil Frances is touring their sophomore album, It’s All a Bit Fuzzy, which was released earlier in October. The album is full of bass-driven rhythms and hypnotic beats, smooth synth and layered guitar riffs. The title plays on the idea of static, which is emphasized by their set which has a retro-style tv behind the band which is playing either repeating fuzzy designs or images of the band, creating a sort of mise-en-abyme on stage which adds to the trippy and psychedelic quality of some of the songs. It helps immerse the audience in what they aim to be a vibrant VHS scene, which is right out of the album’s music videos which emulate the 90s and calls to their vibrant rave culture; which is also apparent at the show, with their vibrant lighting and the spontaneous bursts of smoke which infiltrate the crowd, and add to that ‘fuzzy’ feeling. This album took on a more collaborative process than their last, including featuring artists such as DC-based R&B and dance musician, dreamcastmoe, who was their opener for the night, and others such as St. Panther. It shows their evolution as an artist and how they are ready to continue playing and experimenting, and I know I’ll be looking out for whatever comes next.
