It was only a few months ago now that we were celebrating the re-release of the Emily Francis Trio‘s ‘The Absent’ – released on vinyl for the first time since its initial unveiling in 2015. It’s an apt depiction of the trio’s music that while they can take that moment to acknowledge past achievements – and rightfully so – they can then follow that up with an entirely new release that sees them plough bravely ahead and continue to write the next chapter of their ongoing narrative.
It’s something of an aesthetic that has permeated through the trio’s releases since ‘The Absent’. While their debut proved its worth as an elegant and versatile project, it perhaps found itself rooted within traditional perceptions of jazz and was a project that affectionately wore its influences on its sleeve. It was a huge part of the project’s charm. But subsequent releases like ‘LUMA’ (2022) and with current release, ‘Atomic’, find the trio reassessing their own connections to jazz and seeking to push the boundaries of what is actually expected of the genre and of its contributors. Both ‘LUMA’ and ‘Atomic’ have provided a complete reimagining of the rulebook as Francis & company sought to immerse their music in entirely new and sonically majestic soundscapes that pay respects to an entirely new cast of inspirations.
Led by pianist Emily Francis, the trio is further comprised of bassist Trevor Boxall and drummer Jamie Murray who consistently create such a cohesive and unified unit across their projects. ‘Atomic’, again, finds the collective in fine form amidst a series of original and imaginative compositions that bring the best out of each of the players. Aside from the EP’s broader sonic palette that the tracks build their playground upon, it’s the personalities of Francis, Murray and Boxall where ‘Atomic’ really thrives.
The brilliant opener, ‘After The Rain’, kicks the EP off bursting with energy while still displaying somewhat ominous undertones before making way for the more measured ‘Lydian Child’. The tracks throughout ‘Atomic’ are very much presented as the Emily Francis Trio’s space odyssey with futurism and a science fiction aesthetic running throughout which really adds indelible value to the project as it’s such a scintillating change of pace.
Continuing to move forward in their musical choices, the next chapter in the Emily Francis Trio’s story has a high bar to exceed.
