The Franklys
Are You Listening
Hälta Hälta Records
June 23, 2017

The Franklys are an all-girl garage group that blends a volatile mix of Hives inspired garage rock with indie-like psychedelic notions from early 1970s metal. I’ll admit to waiting eagerly for the release of their debut album Are You Listening. It has all of the hits to date.

Unlike The Franklys previous string of releases Are You Listening boasts quite the polished sound. This record doesn’t have the gritty production found within the grooves of the Puppet 7-inch. However it still manifests The Franklys’ high-energy style, extenuated by their signature barbed wire riffs and heavy drum beats.

Are You Listening has a solid collection of tracks that have been previously released and some that are new to the ears. This record kicks off with the wailing of ‘Castaway,’ the defiant garage punker sounds of ‘Weasel’ and the buzzsaw riffs of ‘Puppet.’ These tracks set the mood for a real rock n’ roll thrill ride.

Other numbers like ‘Too Tall’ fall more in line with The Frankys’ impressive indie-rock style. It’s upbeat and a good mover. The bass heavy ‘You Go, I leave,’ really channels early 1970s heavy psychedelic rock in the vein of Black Sabbath.

In contrast, ‘Comedown,’ backed by a prominent back beat and electrified riffs, has a certain riot-girl flair to it. The last track, ‘Bad News’ is kind of a smooth mover. It’s the kind of song that’s easy to follow, but carries an instrumental weight that causes one to sway in and out of a coherent state.

This record captures the brilliant and forever rebellious spirit of The Franklys. Their take on the sounds that emerge from the garage are fresh, accessible, but more importantly bold.

Are You Listening should find itself in your record stack and more importantly, as a constant companion to your turntable. So, turn this on and bop to everything that is The Frankys.

—Nick Kuzmack (Nix Beat)