Frances the Mute Review — beachboymusicreviews

Frances the Mute is the second album from El Paso, Texas’ progressive rock band, The Mars Volta. The record was released on February 11th of 2005, making it 20 years old as of this review. To say that this band has been under appreciated is a massive understatement. They’ve collaborated with artists ranging from Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante and bassist Flea, to the legendary funk bassist/singer, Bootsy Collins. In addition, they’ve influenced a number of different artists including Mastodon and The Ocean. They’ve had a history of shifting band members, but their current lineup consists of guitarist/songwriter/producer, Omar Rodríguez-López, lead singer/lyricist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, bassist Eva Gardner, keyboardist/percussionist Marcel Rodríguez-López, multi-instrumentalist/composer Leo Genovese, and drummer Linda-Philoméne Tsoungui. Omar and Cedric are the longest tenured members of the band and have been in the lineup since the band’s formation in 2001. I’m hoping to review more rock albums, as I’ve noticed that most of my reviews as of late seem to be mainly hip hop and pop, so I hope to change things up a bit. Anyways, here are my thoughts on the record.

I will preface this review by saying that while this album is a progressive rock masterpiece, it is a pretty long one. In the original track listing, three of the five tracks are over 12 minutes long and the fifth track is over half an hour long. The first track, “Cygnus…Vismund Cygnus,” is a four part operatic experience, going from slow to fast tempo in less than a minute’s time at the beginning of the track. Cedric’s rapid fire lyrics shift between being sung in English and Spanish (which you’ll hear a lot of on this album), while instrumentally the track’s tempo and overall vibe is switching back and forth from relaxed to accelerated. I like how incredibly dark the lyrics are on this track, as the protagonist of the track is looking through a morgue trying to find out who his parents were, only to find out that he was a failed abortion. The schizophrenic drums and guitars create a chaotic atmosphere that helps build a foundation for the twisted nature of the lyrics, and the three minute guitar solo from Omar is one of the most instrumentally engaging parts of the record. The biblical themed lyrics such as “Only these names I clutch will lead me to my home. Somehow this river marks a wrinkle hand in mine. And everyday that parts the water into two. Mothers and feathers start to drown the living proof. I can’t remember these lakes of blood.” We continue the album on a strong note with the second track, “The Widow,” which is the lead single off the record. I love the inclusion of trumpets, trombones, and organs on this thing, and given that this thing is nearly 6 minutes long it doesn’t surprise me that it was the only one to chart. I admire that the band dedicated this track to their band’s sound technician, Jeremy Ward, who died of a heroin overdose two years prior to the album’s release. The song’s descriptive, harrowing lyrics about the effects cigarettes have on someone’s lungs (lung cancer, constant coughing, etc.). The song is talking about how his dual addiction to heroin and cigarettes harmed not only him but those around him. “He’s got fasting black lungs. Made of clove splintered shards. They’re the kind that will talk. Through a wheezing of coughs.” The chorus’ delivery is heartbreaking, and instrumentally it has this very bluesy sound to it, and it honestly wouldn’t feel out of place in Red Dead Redemption 2. Next up, we have the second single, “L’Via L’Viaquez,” which has one of my favorite guitar riffs on the album, the first two verses are completely sung in Spanish, as the protagonist, Cygnus, is talking about his aunt L’Via who is on the run from the church, because she watched them kill Cygnus’ mother, Frances. The track has this dreamy psychedelic chorus with washed out guitars and downtempo drums followed by absolutely jaw-dropping guitar solos from Omar. I will say that the plot of the album is a bit outlandish and over the top, but as a concept album it’s executed phenomenally by the band. “Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore,” continues the story of “L’Via L’Viaquez,” but honestly for me this album is more about the vibes, I will say that that track is one of the more haunting ones on the album. Finally, we have the closer track, “Cassandra Gemini,” which is a five parter that is nearly 33 minutes long. On streaming it’s broken up into 5 tracks, but on vinyl it’s one single track. The theme of revenge and hyper sexual relationships presents a unique conflict, that being the dichotomy of religion and hedonism.

While sure, this is an insanely long album to listen to from front to back, it’s a beautiful journey through a dark fucked up world that’s almost serving as a reflection of the worst of human nature. The guitar riffs and solos, horn and string orchestration, and the variety of different percussion and drum rhythms serve as an exciting backdrop to the world illustrated through the visually disturbing and psychologically intense lyrics. This is easily one of the best progressive rock records of all time and I love the elements of Latin, jazz, and blues incorporated into this thing, as it really makes The Mars Volta’s sound stand out. They’re honestly up there with Pink Floyd and King Crimson in terms of prog rock. They created an album that had a fascinating and wild story and portraying the very real emotions of grief and loneliness, while being scathing in its critique of the cult like tendencies of organized religion. Can it be over the top at times? Sure, but it stands strong alongside other prog rock masterpieces like The Dark Side of the Moon and In the Court of the Crimson King, while doing something different in the process. Easily one of the best albums of the 21st century.