“C.W. Franz II” is the newest album from Chicago new-age singer-songwriter, poet, keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist and producer C.W. Franz, and the official sequel to his “C.W. Franz” project from 2019. On this album’s Bandcamp page, C.W. describes it in one line: “A Journey through the American Midwest, a personal, pastoral vision”.
With over 5 years of albums, EPs and singles under his belt, C.W. Franz has established his own distinct brand of new-age music. He’ll incorporate various elements into a song like spoken-word poetry, strings, keys, horns and oftentimes ‘exotic’ instruments like a pandeiro or bandoneon. And yet the final product will sound so organic, fluid and cohesive, it’s hard to wonder how the song would’ve sounded like if one of those elements was removed.
Compared to 2019’s “C.W. Franz”, this record is devoid of singing. While C.W’s quasi-whispery, atonal style of singing and almost free-associative songwriting won’t be for everyone, I’d argue that it added depth, introspection and personality to “C.W. Franz”. What we get instead are two spoken-word passages which open and bookend the album.
On the opening track “Ese-hcekan (Way of Doing Things)/From Here to Rock Island”, C.W. uses metaphorical imagery to narrate on the cyclic nature of life, and how the beginning and end are both different and similar paths (stones that become pavements to trees that become sheets of paper). I really dug the calm, serene instrumental for this track, with its pleasant guitar strums and jazzy soprano saxophone. In contrast, the closing track “Wa-panwi (First Light)” has a sense of finality to its beat, with its urgent, slightly hectic mixing of various instruments (pan flute, snare drum, keyboards etc.) and epiphany-like narration from collaborator Jake Morze on understanding one’s place in the world even though the world itself remains – or appears – unchanged.
While “C.W. Franz II” focuses less on love, loneliness and heartbreak than its predecessor, it does maintain an emotional epicentre within its expansive soundscapes. In other words, the listener is experiencing C.W.’s external Midwest journey and internal life journey through his music. As it is primarily a mood piece, you’re required to incorporate your own perceptions onto it, whilst immersing yourself into the music presented on this album. And my word, is this an immersive album! Each track is so wonderfully arranged and mixed to the point that it sounds like you’re listening to a soundtrack to some classic road movie from the 80s or 90s (Wim Wenders’ “Paris, Texas” and “Until the End of the World” come to mind).
At its core musically is the traditional Americana sound C.W. has dabbled with throughout his career. Take the track “Cardinal’s Greeting” which, with its hammered dulcimer tremolo (played from a keyboard) and violin melodies, sounds like the equivalent of a sunrise over a stretch of Midwest land. Not even halfway into the song, you realize the violin is actually an erhu as the melody sounds akin to traditional Chinese music. And yet it still fits within the vibe and tone of the song.
We get a couple of jazzy, laid-back songs like “Lek/9:25 to Bloomington” (one of my favourite tracks on the album) with its melancholy piano keys and some smooth, relaxing cello, mandolin and alto saxophone background support; and “Route of the Silver Eagle” whose moody piano and trumpet melodies are almost overpowered – and complimented somewhat – by the sound of a moving train near the middle of the track.
“Arrival of the Silver Eagle”, which precedes the aforementioned “Route”, is one of the more nocturnal-sounding cuts on the album. Here, we have a hazy, hypnotic, synth-laden beat with a fantastic alto sax solo, and unexpected usage of gyli, tabla and sitar (the latter of which was used on the previous “C.W. Franz” album). “Mesahkwatwi (Clear Sky)” (another favourite of mine) sounds like the theme to a 1980s sci-fi film with its hypnotic synths and dramatic guitar strums on the second half. On the subject of the 80s, “Dusk Near Clintonville, WI” sounds like the intro to a neo-noir mystery film from that era (for argument’s sake, let’s say the setting of that film is Clintonville itself) with its dark, spacey synths, clattering percussion near the end of the first minute, and dramatic dobro and oboe melodies.
There are also some songs that border on transcendence, like “Farewell, Pontiac” with its tapestry of melodies from the marimba, electric lap steel guitar and keyboard, the latter of which creates a psychedelic, poignant foundation for the track. The two-part “The Land Remains / The Land Blossoms” opens with a short section consisting of a beautiful oboe solo mixed with a harpsichord (which caught me COMPLETELY by surprise). The longer “The Land Blossoms” section utilizes traditional Eastern instruments like the guzheng, dizi and Tibetan singing bowl which closes the track.
And then we have the penultimate two-part track “Tepehki.wi (It is Night) / Rock River Suite”. Over its eight-minute runtime, we get an epic unification of various instruments, from the trumpet, piano and celesta to the Irish bouzouki and Japanese shakuhachi. The song itself undergoes a cavalcade of emotions, whether it be peace, doubt, tension and fearsome realization (like on the blaring, climactic high point near the end of “Rock River Suite”). There’s also an odd radio broadcast recording used as a transition to “Rock River Suite”, which I interpreted as a signal of sorts being picked up by the album’s protagonist, compelling him mentally and emotionally to return home.
Overall, “C.W. Franz II” is a cinematic, sprawling, ambitious, ambiguous and altogether fascinating slice of new-age music. It certainly builds on the moody life and world view presented by its host on “C.W. Franz” and his prior work, in addition to his ever-increasing knowledge of and experimentation with various musical instruments. The album excels in its compositions and arrangements, creating depth, emotion and meaning within the tranquility and unpredictability of each song. In short, this is a musical journey that I see myself re-experiencing very soon, and I highly recommend following the path “C.W. Franz II” lays out and enjoying the ride!
OVERALL RATING: Decent 4 out of 5 stars.
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