FRANCES THE MUTE

Francis the Mute is the second album by The Mars Volta. Great ideas that were just drawn on too long. From the soundscapes on Miranda that ghost just isn't holy anymore, to the chaos on Cassandra Gemini. They arnt bad songs, its just that they get boring and a little noisy after a while. Im not totally ranting against soundscapes and long songs though, dont get me wrong.

The strongest track is definetely L'vi l'viaquez. The gutar work is pretty interesting, and the piano solo towards the end of the album is pretty awesome. You almost never hear Ikey doing anything, and this song definetely shows off his talent and diversity. Because it is inspired by Latin music the whole song is totally different from what they had done before. Cassandra Gemini isnt bad, but its just too freaking long for its chaotic nature. The widow is a pretty good song and its sounds like some stuff they did on de- loused and Cygnus is a fast paced song with some slower soft sections thrown in to create a solid beginning to the album.

Nothing weak throughout the whole album, but everything drags out a little too long. A good, but non- essential album. 3.3/5