Tipped as “one of Belfast’s fastest rising bands”, Franklin are definitely a band to watch out for over the coming months. Last year’s single ‘Bebby’ introduced a tight music unit with its combination of pumping basslines contrasted with overdriven, choppy guitar lines that captured the ghosts of The Skids and really early U2, crossed with the slightly more abrasive edges of early Franz Ferdinand. The blend of power and melody showcased an amazingly tight band on this track, but by throwing an old school lead guitar break into a pleasingly angular workout also advertised a band who might be unafraid to take a swerve into the unexpected. What’s more, a full live set from Bennigans in Derry (captured with a very professional multi camera set up) showed a band who were far more than studio based marvels.
A year on, Franklin haven’t been exactly prolific when it comes to studio work, but their current single, ‘Tiny Chairs’, shows that any early belief that this band might be heading for bigger things certainly wasn’t misplaced.
It shows off the more aggressive side of the Franklin sound, but it is also a track that hits right from first play. Almost immediately, the band introduce a huge, fuzzed out riff that’s impossible to ignore. These crushing sounds are also used very effectively to link the verses, calling back to the 90s and the heady days of grunge, with heavy influences from Catherine, Silverchair and early Smashing Pumpkins (part of the riff really wouldn’t be out of place on the critically acclaimed ‘Siamese Dream’).
When hitting their full on rock stride, Franklin sound immense, but rather unusually, it’s the quieter moments of the number that actually leave the stronger impression. Against a wavering, jangly guitar part, vocalist Kevin Hillick adds a slightly unsettling, hugely emotive cry, almost sounding like he’s on the verge of tears, and a cleaner guitar part adds to the more melodic aspects of the track with a huge soaring tone that suggests a genuine musical confidence. When reaching for the more melodic, there’s more of a link with ‘Bebby’, but it cannot be denied that guitarists Luke Fleming and Bailey McEvoy are able to summon some genuinely great sounds, no matter where the music takes them. Peppered with lyrics concerning approaching each day from a neurodiverse perspective and constantly having to take advice (or brush off advice) from those around you, ‘Tiny Chairs’ is far more than a mere alt-rock throwback.
A near perfect example of the quietLOUDquiet style, this single is set to be loved by rock fans who still hold onto fond memories of grubby festival fields in the mid 90s, and guaranteed to build these lads a cult but devoted audience.
Check out the video below.