JW Francis - 'Going Home To A Party'
In anticipation of his latest album set to drop at the end of the month, JW Francis kicks off the new year with new track ‘Going Home to a Party’.
The self proclaimed ‘lofi-jangle-dream-slacker-bedroom-pop’ guy is back with earworm of a track, ‘Going Home to a Party’. A happy-go-lucky song designed to drag us all out of the lull of winter, it is filled with energetic and spunky instrumentation, bouncy rhythm and witty lyrics. Full of the goofy and charming energy synonymous with his past work, the track is noticeably more upbeat than the others which have been released ahead of the album. It made sense given the context of the project that the earlier drops were more chilled and emotional numbers but it is great to see Francis have so much fun with this song and it really gets you excited about ‘Dream House’, which is set to be released at the end of January.
The track and its video are choc-a-bloc full of references. With everything from Blues Clues and Bob Ross imagery to rhythmic nods to the Waterboys, there is so much commentary on this track from Francis about how he believes he is seen by his audience. The album the song comes from is rooted in giving back to the audience. Francis explains his motivations with it here:
‘I have received hundreds of requests from fans to write songs for their loved ones… All the songs for Dream House come from this project… Ultimately this is an album about caring for others, and the way we express it.’
It seems rather fitting given all of this that the first track we are shown is an incredibly playful take on all the ways Francis has been interpreted by his fanbase. In a fun tongue-in-cheek way, Francis is putting himself into the position of his listeners and is watching himself on a television screen. As is his style, he’s keen to hint at a darkness and mystery behind the wholesome caricatures and as such there are endless cartoon hijinks throughout the video. Whether he’s trying to comment on a desire to be seen not as a reflection of other characters but rather as a whole person, mishaps and all, is up for interpretation but it certainly gives the song more reason to get stuck in your head.
The track above all exudes warmth and is effortlessly endearing. Francis has long been known for his ability to charm his audiences, whether it be from poking fun at his 80s aesthetic or through emotionally vulnerable lyricism. Something about ‘Going Home to A Party’ though just feels inherently sunny; the perfect track for Francis to kick off the new year. The community response to the release has been the icing on the cake and just goes to show the wholesome and bright space which Francis has cultivated over the years. With the album coming in a few weeks and several gigs up and down the UK lined up, it's gonna be a busy couple of months for Francis. Having listened to this track though, there’s little doubt that everything on the horizon is gonna be groovy.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
