CD Review by Doug Cornell

Tired of the same old grunge punk garage hip-hop mish-mash metal core self-absorbed indie pop?  Then check out the new release from Colorado Springs multi-instrumentalist Mad Francis, Down In the Basement.  This seven song release is packed with lush adult pop/rock that features Francis' stunning lead vocals, gorgeous piano, aggressive blasts of electric guitar, and enough melody to last until the next decade.

A jarring wail of electronics dissolves into a stunning piano run in the opening track, "Full Escape."  Francis is a very emotive vocalist - his voice easily flirts with quiet intimacy and just as quickly transforms to a rock wail during the guitar-drenched chorus of this modern power ballad.  Melodic piano is the lead instrument in "I Am the King," which uses clever dynamics as the track changes from a quiet piano melody to a full-on rock tune as Francis exclaims, "It's hard to see what others see when you no longer dream."

Francis offers up a solid mid-tempo rocker in "The Price."  A clever chord change separates the verse and chorus, and a nice guitar solo nicely spices up the track.  Adding a cover tune to an album is always a good move for an unknown artist, and Francis does Fleetwood Mac proud with his take on their massive hit "Go Your Own Way."  The chorus of the tune suffers from a lack of backing vocals, but this is just one guy doing a damn good version of a great tune.

The album continues with an upbeat acoustic guitar romp ("My Heart, My Head"), offers a piano-driven modern rock track with a terrible title ("Let's Get Naked"), and concludes with a lovely piano ballad ("Don't Fear What is Love").

While Down In the Basement doesn't forge any new stylistic ground in the pop/rock realm, it does provide an expertly recorded and played foray into the world of piano-driven modern rock.