Move Into The Light With Franklin Gothic

Embrace the ethereal atmosphere as we move Into The Light with Franklin Gothic.

Into The Light released on August 19th via Very Jazzed and Pleasure Tapes and is the debut full length for the Jay DiBartolo solo project. The album draws influences that stem from Jay’s early childhood in the 90s showcasing a variety of styles spanning from shoegaze to Americana. All while challenging the expectation that a band or album is bound to any singular genre.

The album opens with “Beneath” which works as an opening track, but feels like it might fit better later in the album. However, given that it is followed by “Spark” it’s placement makes more sense as the two tracks carry a distinct contrast to one another while crafting a solid beginning to the atmospheric journey that is Into The Light. “Photograph” follows and gives a solid offering of Americana styled goodness that only furthers the beautifully contrasted tracks to this point.

“Slow Down Bang Bang” adds some layers and gives a better feel for Jay’s vocal ability. While it may seem like he may not be pushing any limits vocally his voice shines on this track. “True Love” is another Americana twinged slow burn, but it’s ethereal vocals make it a rather stand out on the album. “Mr. Hangman” has a rather catchy hook to it that gives it a strong pop sensibility, but in more of a dreampop meets shoegaze vibe.

“Carry Me Away” is a simplistic acoustic track that plays to the strength of the musical diversity Jay bring to the album as a whole. While some tracks may carry similarities to one another each one has their own distinct artistic life. “’94” keeps a mellow tempo but utilizes this to it’s advantage as it creates a bit of a ballad aspect to the track as the lyrics; “Where are you now?” resonate throughout the track. “Waking Up” carries more of the dreampop atmosphere while playing more in to Jay’s vocal ability as they really take a front seat.

The final quarter of the album opens with the title track “Into The Light” which showcases some solid instrumentation in a more traditional sense (drums, guitar, bass) with some remarkable builds in parts. “Bottleneck” opens on a soaring high note and serves as the perfect follow up to “Into The Light” keeping the tempo light, but more upbeat than some of the earlier tracks. The album comes to a close with “One & Only” which is a tempo downshift from the two preceding tracks, but it closes out the album quite nicely giving it a sense of completion.

Overall, Into The Light follows the ups and downs of the singer/songwriter’s experience, through his struggles to leave behind an old cynical view of the world to make room for a more openhearted one.

Into The Light is available now on all major streaming platforms and digital retailers. Physical copies can be purchased via Bandcamp.

Franklin Gothic – “Spark” Official Music Video

You can connect with Franklin Gothic on social media via Twitter and Instagram.

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