EP Review: The Story of Francis

Oklahoma native Kevin Posey lives in Auckland these days, and throughout his musical career he has investigated different types and styles of music, and for this EP he has moved into yet another area, as what we have here is classical music that has been inspired by Halloween and psychological thrillers. Some, such as Fog Forest No. 1, would work incredibly well in a film setting apart from one minor issue, in that all five songs contained on this EP are very short indeed, so much so that the total running time is less than six minutes. I found this very frustrating indeed, as every one of these pieces is dramatic and takes us on a journey, but just when one thinks we are in for a trip to a haunted castle or a creepy motel we only get as far as the garden gate and the trip is over before it has even begun.

They all have the potential to be something much longer and deeper, but feel cut off in their prime. This was sent to me to review on Soundcloud, but there is nothing to suggest these are just samples of longer tracks, and if I have the wrong link then I must apologise to Kevin. But if this really is the finished article, one must question why? There is a great deal of work which has gone into the arrangements, the sound is complex and deep, with a vibrant piano and strong orchestra while there is even some choir at times. The only time I can remember previously hearing an album quite like this was nearly 30 years ago, when the guitarist Anthony Phillips put out a release which was a collection of his library music. This was music he had recorded and made available for film makers to utilize, and it was only due to fan demand that he put some of it on an album, and it was way more interesting than it was satisfying. That is the same here, as although everything is way too short, the pieces themselves are fascinating and I want to hear a lot more.