SINGLE REVIEW: France, You’re On Your Own – Take the Handcuffs Off (Please)

Since their inception, Merseyside electronic-folk duo France, You’re On Your Own have maintained a steady pace of releases. From their thrilling political debut ‘Church Roof’, to their wonderfully whimsical ‘Omg I love u‘, the band have continued to demonstrate just how varied and ambitious they are with each release. That continues to be the case with their latest release, ‘Take The Handcuffs Off (Please)‘,

This is true magnificence, and by far the band’s most accomplished work to date. ‘Take the Handcuffs Off (Please)‘ not only perfectly encapsulates the band’s sound, but evolves upon it in wholly unexpected ways. Auto-tuned vocals are draped atop of crisp, bright, twanging banjos, as the track marches forwards. The cinematic melancholy is illuminated with flashes of colourful brilliance, as the vocals twist and turn with unexpected distortions and panning. The choral harmonies echo with a shimmering beauty, and the manner in which they explode into crisp, crackling glory at 1:17 is mesmerising.

Then, in an unexpected twist, the track leaps into a grand, near wall-of-sound climax. The ‘yeah yeah yeah‘ vocalisations set against the controlled chaos of fuzzy guitars and melodic bass lines almost feels a little like late-career The Beatles in nature. It’s a wonderfully cathartic climax that perfectly captures the melancholic feelings not just of the track, but of France, You’re On Your Own in general. Then, with the sound of a light switch being turned off, the track ends just as swiftly as it arrived.

Merseyside is filled with artists that are deserving of your attention, and you could spend days exploring them all and uncovering new, fresh, and brilliant talents. Yet if you only have the time to listen to one, make it France, You’re On Your Own. ‘Take The Handcuffs Off (Please)‘ is, without a shadow of a doubt, a contender for song of the year. This sort of creativity and willingness to be just a little absurd is a rare quality, and one that wholly deserves championing.

Set yourself aside five minutes, and listen to this song.

For Fans Of: The Oh Hellos, The 1975, Bo Burnham, Topiary Creatures, I Feel Fine

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify