Francis Moon
Onwards

Francis Moon is a Swedish songwriter based in Amsterdam, active since 2016. This is indeed the year he released his debut album "Onwards."

The sound of this record nods to those Scandinavian dream-pop atmospheres that spread around the world in the early 2000s, thanks to the success of groups like Mew or Simian Ghost. However, his songs do not adhere to the classic "Nordic Indie" canons, aiming for a more ambitious sound that almost ventures into "arena rock."

What would happen if Coldplay sneaked into My Bloody Valentine's rehearsal room and started tinkering with Kevin Shields & co's various pedals? Perhaps the result could be something similar to Mr. Moon's album, which makes me think precisely of a combination of these two very different groups, yet also quite similar in certain ways. Exhibit A: listen to tracks like "Lovers in Japan" by Chris Martin and company, which clearly has shoegaze influences, albeit cleverly translated into the band's more commercial slang.

Returning to "Onwards," the melodies are sweet enough, but not overly cloying. When the record risks becoming too syrupy, more introspective moments arrive, like the track "Lily of The Valley" or the lovely "Paper Bones," with almost post-punk echoes.

In conclusion, I would consider it an indie album with pop ambitions.