The Brutal Wave by Frank (Just Frank) (ALBUM REVIEW)

Released in 2010 on Weird Records.

Frank (Just Frank) are a synth-pop, cold wave duo from Paris, France. The two guys became friends over a common interest in black metal (I guess, don't quote me on that) and decided to make music together.

How any of the music on The Brutal Wave is metal influenced is totally beyond me. It's clearly 80's rip off music. Not a rip off in a bad way, it does a great job recreating almost all of the elements that made bands like Cure, Joy Division, Smiths, etc, great.

Punchy drum machines, cold synth, catchy guitar riffs, depressive lyrics, they all scream "1980 !!!! WOOT!" It's all very retro, quasi minimal and slightly robotic. An emo goth robot !

And that pretty much sums up the music here perfectly. The songs that aren't in French a very likable and somewhat catchy. If you like any band from the 80's post punk scene, I'm sure there is something on The Brutal Wave you will like. It's isn't overtly hipster sounding. It sounds just like the 80's did.




6.5 / 10

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Frank
• just
• frank
• the
• brutal
• wave
• Beneath
• Mr
• Itagaki
• Die
• in
• bed
• Crisis
• Jalousie
• Le
• son
• du
• trottoir
• Seraphine
• Coeur
• hante
• The
• closet
• song
• Ride
• of
• lifetime
• Collapse
• Weird
• records
• 2010

[clipcalhoon]

is it like the cure?

[YoureWrongImRight]

@clipcalhoon Yep. And the song in the background is called "Beneath". 

[Caligula138]

Damn! Where the fuck did you find this?! All those genres you mention are great! One of them is from Jersey?! Im from fuckin Jersey! The Smiths are an untouchable band... so influential.  Im going to pick this up asap & get drunk on gloomy winter days & play loudly... Love it

[YoureWrongImRight]

@Caligula138 I just buy shit at random. I am not lying.

[shEvoDEevolution]

Wow, that haircut is very flock of sea gulls. I do like the sound though. I might check them out. I like metal and I don't hear any black metal influence...sounds very shoegazer to me.

[YoureWrongImRight]

@shEvoDEevolution Yeah, I guess that was the common bond these two guys had when they started making music.

"Dude, I fucking love metal so much. Check out my Venom shirt! Let's make some 80's synth pop sometime!" Doesn't make sense !!

[Neurozumim]

The french songs are actually what's cool about the band. The main reference here is early Indochine, the french new wave band.

[Einszeit]

Thanks for the review.

But your statement about French lyrics being a turn-off if they don't come in the "charming"-AIR-way makes me shake my head... Seriously...

[clipcalhoon]

@YoureWrongImRight what song off the album is playing in the background?

[Caligula138]

@padpad10 Twin Shadow is Cool!

[padpad10]

Sounds kind of like Twin Shadow, Im still undecided about him/them, you should check it out and do a review. Keep up the good work.

[bluelebowski]

It amazed me that all the 80's bands you site as influences on this record are English - I never thought there was that much of a worldwide pull for that music style - don't get me wrong I love the cure and the smiths but it just surprised me!