EUGENE FRANCIS JUNIOR - THE GOLDEN BEATLE

(AU magazine April 2008)

(LEGION)

LIMPING in like a weirdy beardy scholar, Eugene Francis Jr is enough to put anyone off their falafel.
Hailing from Wales, this debut is packed with socio-political comment and poppy tunes in equal measure. However, the nauseating aroma of incense sticks speaks loudly of undergraduate revolution circa 1992, as repackaged from 1968.
The mystical whirr of new single ‘Beginners’ trades on spiritual enlightenment as if all the cool kids are buying it down TopShop. They’re not – and on ‘Hobo Occupation’ (shudder), the naffness of lyric ‘the politicians are going straight to hell’ is something that would embarrass even the most reactionary of dippy hippies. Like The Levellers never left the building.