Gareth - 8/28/2011

The debut album 'Hunger', from the band Frankie & The Heartstrings, the Sunderland based boys formed in 2008 and named after the lead singer Frankie Francis. Not a complicated musical offering by any stretch, with simple sounding rhythms and melodies and simple but effective bass lines, they could be quite easily pigeon holed in the indie/pop genre.
Frankie Francis was a entertainments promoter in Sunderland and after hearing many an unsigned band, thought to himself that he himself, could maybe do better then this and so gave it a go, and although not the strongest vocalist, still, probably more capable than many.
This album is a strong starting point for the band. I feel that in time Frankie & The Heartstrings could possibly become a Smiths of our time, a band that does not necessarily impact society through the particular strengths of any one album, but the combined weight of the full catalogue, combined along with the fact that the music is achievable and can connect with the masses, something that people can relate to. They really could become iconic.
The album has that winning formula for any indie pop record, taking what's gone before and borrowing from the best bits but doing it in such a way that you don't quite realise it but you know you like it. Much of the album is of a similar vain, except for track 4 'Break on me' and the final track 'Don't look surprised', these tracks are slower then the other eight songs. With the beginning bars of 'Fragile' sounding like the intro from the 1978 Springsteen album, 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'. The title track 'Hunger', instantly makes you want to sing along; 'Possibilities' was one of my least favourite songs on first listen, however has grown to be my favourite. 'It's obvious', sounds in places like a dead ringer for Franz Ferdinand and 'Want You Back' has a great but subtle use of a brass section.
The album has a classic cover, which is a photo by Keith Pattison, from the book 'No redemption', showing photographs from the miners strike circa 1984/85, a prominent and notoriously difficult time for the people of the North East of England.
Most songs on the album come in under 3.30 minutes with the longest track 'Fragile' lasting 6:05. Total playing time of the album is 34:36 minutes. Which leaves me with the conclusion that, if you don't like or are not a fan of the album, it won't long before the torture is thankfully over for you, but if you are a fan, its all over to soon, leaving you thinking.good EP, but what about the album!