Following their milestone 2017 “Blue Ceilings” album, Montreal, QC indie-folk rockers, The Franklin Electric, return with a brand new EP today, titled “In Your Heart.” Nominated for Breakout Group of the Year at the 2018 JUNO Awards, the band continue to amass many miles out on the road, touring to support their previous works, and after spending some time listening to “In Your Heart” this week, they once again do not disappoint.
The EP starts with their recently released single, “Anything for Love,” a song described by lead vocalist Jon Matte as one about “heartbreak, loneliness and its effects.” “We all want to be loved or find the real thing, but it can becomes a bit of a riddle or a game at times,” he adds. “The [official music] video was an idea from a close friend about loneliness, loss and how we cope using ‘likes’ or ‘loves’ on social media the same way some people use drugs.” As the lyrics suggest, “I would do anything for love / It’s only just a game you can play yourself / I would do anything for love / You can keep on making deals with yourself,” this is certainly a modern look into a lonely heart and the obsessive scrolling one does on social media pages just to find some sort of validation. Sorting through the endless single moments in hopes of recreating the feeling someone else’s picture is meant to project. Just one more filter. One more edit. One more change. Or maybe a complete makeover is the trick to being loved? Yet we are truly aware that love is not found in the number of likes received, but instead, begins by loving yourself as you are.
“Trouble” is the second, and latest, single released to date, and as with “Anything for Love,” is accompanied by a music video. “Trouble is about my relationship with my inner struggles,” Matte shares. “Learning from them and finding a way to understand why and where they come from. As if they are happening for a reason I should understand.” With his lyrics, “I know trouble, it’s all I know / I guess it’s something that I need to know / Let me tell you, I know nothing more,” Jon connects with listeners familiar with a feeling of being lost with one’s self. It’s a song about acknowledging self-sabotage in a way; the continuous poor decisions, or bad situations that one just can’t seem to get away from. As if trouble just finds its way back over and again without effort, but the soul is yearning to break this cycle. “We shot the video on a day off our European tour in London, UK,” Jon recalls. “We went with a doom and gloom kind of Brit crime drama story, with forgiveness and remorse.”
One other track on this collection that I particularly enjoy is “Ghost,” a song I found to deeply emphasize self-reflection. Indeed, I found the entire EP very easy to listen to, appreciative of the very mellow, yet modern, vibe. The music set to the lyrics beautifully connects feeling to each story. Jon Matt’s voice reminds me of musician Mat Kearney in tone; and both of them I find to be quite soothing to the ear. One thing I noticed about this EP though, is the lack of trumpet that appears often in their previous releases. Hopefully Jon has not packed this instrument away for too long. “In Your Heart” is available today, via Nettwerk Records, and The Franklin Electric are currently on tour in QC and ON.
Visit The Franklin Electric’s website.
Jess has always enjoyed a wide range of music genres and eras. Connecting deeply with classical music, she played cello from grade school through high school, and although no longer actively playing, her affinity for finding an emotional connection to music is still strong. Residing in central PA, she is new to the Canadian music scene and enjoys listening to new artists as a way to break away from “the usual.” Jess is an avid yogi who often finds a sliver of peace while on the yoga mat with good music playing in the background.
