I didn’t plan writing about Universal Hurt, the comeback record of Frankie And His Fingers. The band plays a mix of fuzzy powerpop and indie rock with a radio friendly pop sound. Remember The Format’s Dog Problems? Universal Hurt brings back memories to that album. It’s diverse, it’s got well crafted songs, it’s got slowed down parts, it’s got anthemic choruses, and above all, plenty of melody to draw you in. Given all these qualities, I mistakenly assumed this band to have plenty of monthly listeners on streaming platforms. To compare, The Format have well over 100k and the follow up to that band (Fun.) surpass 7 million (!) monthly listeners on Spotify. Frankie & His Fingers? Not so much. That’s a pity, because I am sure there is a large audience for this record. Songs like Celebrate!, Gene Kelly & The Truck My Dad Built, and To Die Would Be A Great Adventure showcase the songwriting skills of the band. It’s impressive to see a band that has been on a ten-year hiatus, with members drifting towards college and other bands like Real Estate and Laura Stevenson, return in such good form. Universal Hurt is an inspired record, and arguably the band’s best work yet. Out now on SubFamily Records.
“I pressed pause on my fashion sense when I was 26 || Maybe if I walk around looking like it’s 2012 I can fool the kids || Maybe this is much sadder than accepting I’m fatter and just leaning into quiet nights and buying things.”
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp