With the World Cup now all but over, many a romanticised underdog story will have long since faded. There were some notably breath-taking displays of heart and effort - particularly that of Team USA, right up until their hard-fought exit at the hands of Belgium. The same, however, cannot be said for the plight of England; the lack of tenacity and defiance absent in the country’s national Football team may have temporarily dampened the spirits of a nation, but you will find no evidence of this in the musical endeavours of Franko Fraize
Fresh off the back of his two biggest shows to date – supporting The Libertines at BST festival in London’s Hyde Park last Saturday and then a sold out Wembley arena alongside Professor Green on Wednesday – his latest release “Underdog” is a firm testament that the momentum building behind East Anglia’s favourite son shows no signs of relenting.
On the surface, this is a no nonsense infusion of rock and rap; the marriage of stiff upper lip bars, raw guitars and a humbly shot video give the track a hometown tint that provide context for his latest support slots alongside acts like The Libertines and The Enemy. It could be said that this deviates slightly from the styles of his last efforts such as “Hand Me Downs”, “Siesta” and “Treasures” – and in saying so you would be right to a degree; but more than anything, this track is a comprehensive demonstration of the diversity in his musical arsenal and capabilities as an artist and not just an MC.
England may have had a rotten World Cup campaign, but there is an undeniable mileage in Franko Fraize’s music which imbues a pride and likable integrity that give us all reason to remain optimistic this summer; for Franko, the future is looking bright way beyond this. You can see the video for “Underdog” underneath.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVt5wuZMhG4
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