Pop/Folk - L.A. singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Robert Francis may have been raised in Brentwood but the music on his sophomore album Before Nightfall (Atlantic) suggests that his inspiration comes more from the rural backroads of Texas than SoCal glam. Influences from Ry Cooder, The Band, Townes van Zant, Wilco and even Bob Dylan, in his crooning Nashville Skyline period, seep into Francis' music. We couldn't help but wonder how tracks such as the new "Nightfall" would sound coming out of a pick-up truck AM radio, windows down, arid heat rising from the asphalt.

2007 debut One By One, released when Francis was just 19, met with solid critical acclaim as Crawdaddy called it "a fantastically accomplished debut" and NPR marvelled at his "old soul...post-folk" style. New project again brings Francis' wide array of instrumentation, filling in the spaces with subtle, rustic shades of steel guitar, strings and the occasional fiddle and allowing his smoky, world weary vocals room to breathe. There are even some soulful touches at play with some gospel-styled female harmonies (sisters from his family of musicians) adding a rich embroidery to Francis' mellow but compelling songs. Recommended.

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Robert Francis - "Nightfall" (from the forthcoming album Before Nightfall)