Frances Cone - Late Riser (2019)

"This is wonderfully literate pop that won't hit you over the head, but might gently find a home in your heart." - NPR MusicFrances Cone is the brainchild of Christina Cone, a classically trained pianist and vocalist who comes from a long line of artists including her grandmother who studied at Juilliard and her father who was once an opera singer. Cone released the debut LP Come Back in 2013, but it wasn't until she met her musical and life partner, bassist Andrew Doherty, that Frances Cone took on its current form. The pair began working together while living in Brooklyn, NY, creating the first five songs of Late Riser, before moving to Nashville, TN last year to join the city's thriving alternative scene. The new partnership has proven fruitful with acknowledgements coming from NPR, Noisey, Paste, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and more. The last five years have acted as a period of development and discovery for Frances Cone. The result is a fully-realized collection that reaps the benefits of a little patience and a lot of perseverance. Late Riser features 10 captivating tracks that gradually unfold around sweeping melodies, soaring harmonies and emotive vocals. Each song offers its own journey, both sonically and thematically, as the album explores overall themes of internal/external struggle and growth. Late Riser stands as a testament to when artists are allowed the space to create something meaningful without the influence of expectations.