Mads Francis has been developing a sound that sounds exceptional. On "Beyond the Pines," the first single off his debut EP, "The Violet Crown," Francis makes a splashy entrance that combines playful pop-punk fervor with darkly introspective lyricism, something the singer admits is a comfortable fit for his stage-and-crowd-surfing persona.
"Beyond the Pines" is invigorating, with searing guitar riffs and a crashing rhythm section driven by Sage Weeber of Point North that hooks you instantly. But under all the fun, the catchy, almost deceptively poppy surface, is something weightier. Francis doesn't soothe his listeners just by writing good songs, he delves into the most obscure corners of memory and emotion, weaving irresistible hooks throughout them. Here, he grapples with childhood bonds coming undone, with the fact that growing up sometimes requires abandoning those who have become casualties. His lyrics are punctuated with questions that sting long after the last chord has receded softly. What if I were this? What if you were that? Would that have worked anyway? What you get is a song that sounds both cathartic and touching. It's a song about the loss of friendships, innocence, and time, but wrapped in bright, anthemic pop-punk colors. It's that interplay of light and shadow that has quickly emerged as Francis' calling card. Matching earworm melodies with ominous overtones of everything crashing and everyone being sad, he ticks off all the emotional boxes at once.
"Beyond the Pines" is all the more riveting for the way Francis plays with the genre. Rather than simply falling back on familiar pop chord progressions, he reaches for a baritone-tinged folk chord that gives substance to his sound and helps distinguish it as if the song itself holds an echo of the New England woods, majestic, eerie, and unforgettable.
The album's final song, "Beyond the Pines," was written by Francis to create the lasting impression it is, and it works wonderfully. It's a debut of the sort that not merely introduces an artist but also insists on being noticed, because there's more underneath to be discovered.