Dillon Francis: Money Sucks, Friends Rule
Details
Genre: Dance pop, ElectronicaPros:
Francis isn't afraid to test the waters of EDM madnessCons:
More often the songs lack organization, pop readinessYoungblood moobahcore DJ surrounds himself around heavyweight stars, diverse dance sounds
Youngblood moobahcore DJ surrounds himself around heavyweight stars, diverse dance sounds
Dillon Francis, a protégé of Diplo, has been churning out EPs since 2010. Now signed to Columbia, the young L.A-bred DJ is finally jumping into the spotlight with his debut full-length LP. Francis has a bit of edge on his profile since he’s touted for helping to break the house-reggaeton fusion styles of moombahton and moobahcore style on EDM culture. He uses it to his advantage on Money Sucks, Friends Rule, kicking off the disc with Twista’s lightning-speed prose on a rollicking bass ‘n synth driven “All That” and continuing that momentum with “Not Butter.” But Francis is on a mission to prove he’s a bearer of a Technicolor dreamcoat by trying on various styles inside the EDM universe. “When We Were Young,” led by the Chain Gang of 1974, takes off using electro pop confetti and a delicious disco strut. It’s probably the album’s most accessible track, but “Drunk All the Time” is clearly Francis’s frontrunner. It’s heavy with flavor and a riveting dance-pop appeal, comparable to this season’s standout EDM winner – Basement Jaxx’s “Never Say Never.” The futuristic robotic chants behind Simon Lord’s Boy George-drenched vocals are neatly placed, giving off a natural satisfaction that comes with classic disco workouts. The disc is also a star-studded fest, decorated with DJ Snake, Stylo and Major Lazer of “Pon De Floor” fame. Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie even joins in on “Love in the Middle of a Firefight,” a tune that sounds like remnants of the Killers’ balladry.
Other tracks sound off properly, but are hardly radio-accessible, lacking the necessary climaxes and memorable finesse of pop royalty. Bollywood sounds, old school rap tricks and James Brown chants highlight “Get Low,” but sounds more like a hi-gloss demo. “Set Me Free” is only held up by a repetitive “set me free” chant while encircling Martin Garrix’s synth explosions. Much of the disc’s second half hardly impresses like its front half: “I Can’t Take It” bends the vocals way too much; “Hurricane” borrows melodic riffs from Britney Spears’s “Till the World Ends,” although it gains points for finally dropping a succulent female voice (Lily Elise) on board the album.
Much of Money Sucks, Friends Rule works as an cautious introduction to Francis and what he’s capable of. A crash course of sorts; it doesn’t always sound great from start to finish. Sharpened a little, given more tracks like “Drunk All the Time” and maybe minus some of the lackadaisical tracks, this would have been a triumph of a debut disc.
