Francis of Delirium brings a beacon of hope on deliriously good debut album
‘Lighthouse’ has left us profoundly optimistic about the future of indie music.
★★★★★
Photo: Holly Whitaker
22-year-old Jana Bahrich — AKA Francis of Delirium — is a pop-rock powerhouse with a voice for the ages. Her debut album Lighthouse is so gorgeously raw and expertly written that it pumps waves of blissful optimism through your veins whilst still hanging heavy on your heartstrings.
Born out of Jana’s experience flitting between continents whilst on tour with the likes of Soccer Mommy, The Districts and The 1975, the album is an ode to the feeling of impermanence that comes with life on the road. It speaks to the idea that there is always light guiding you into spaces where you can accept love and joy, and ignites an overwhelming sense of hope through its ragged emotions and fragile honesty.
The album’s atmospheric pop-rock opener Ballet Dancers (Never Love Again) sees Jana’s wispy vocals float through the air as angsty rock guitars flood the chorus in a delicate balance of contrast that defines the album. Even on the softer, more fragile tracks like Real Love and First Touch the contrast between the gentler textures and the ragged emotional intensity of the vocals offers such a bittersweet reflection on romance that it is impossible not to congratulate Jana on her songwriting strength.
Songs like Want You bring more of a simplicity to the album’s 90s rock stylings when compared to the loud in-your-face indie anthem Blue Tuesday, but this only goes to show Jana’s skill in constructing the album’s narrative so clearly, carefully and defiantly. She recognises that the bravest thing to do (in music and) when in love is to say it how it is and so shows an intense amount of bravery through her vulnerable lyricism, regardless of what that means on each track.
But it’s not just lyrically that Francis of Delirium can create such a guttural depth of feeling. Through carefully selecting instruments and the layering of sound, Lighthouse achieves a complex collection of soundscapes that are as beautiful as they are (at times) cutting. Embracing the cello on Cliffs and Starts to End is a truly stunning addition to the album that only adds to Francis’ singular sound. The low rumblings of the strings increase the lyrical expression of all instruments on these tracks and creates the sense that Jana is duetting with certain instruments, which feels incredibly instinctive and authentic from the young artist.
It's in these additional flourishes that Jana shows her understanding of the intimate partnership of sound and emotion. She pays such close attention to every melodic detail and every element of her soundscape that it only seems fair to say this record is set to be a future indie classic. And, by finishing with the anthemic Give It Back To Me, Jana achieves exactly what she aimed for on the album – encouraging defiance in the face of change and leaving behind a sense of hope for the future.
Lighthouse is so well-constructed that you have to listen to it the whole way through so you can feel empowered by those universal feelings, celebrate everything beautiful in the world and rediscover that hope that you’d maybe left behind. It’s an entire sonic experience that really can’t be missed.
Lighthouse is out today (March 22nd) via Dalliance Recordings.