Written by: Geoff Tischman

Touring behind his fabulous new album Return To Zero, Neal Francis made a stop at Webster Hall to play to an adoring sold-out crowd.

The New Jersey-born singer/songwriter was in the pocket the entire night, tearing through numbers like “Problems” and “What’s Left Of Me” with soulful precision.

Francis’ set was a straight-up scorcher of burning R&B, late night funk and grooves galore.

Other standouts were “Can’t Stop The Rain” and “Broken Glass,” both of which sizzled with raw authenticity and heart.

In a press release for his new album, Francis said:  “One of the main things I’ve learned is that every album is going to be its own journey; I can’t really take the arsenal of things I’ve learned in the past and expect them to save me from any kind of frustration with whatever I make next. Creating art is always going to be a challenge, which maybe goes back to why AI-created music is never going to be all that compelling—it’s just too fucking easy. The best I can do is use what’s at my disposal and try not to freak out or despair when it gets difficult, and hopefully end up making something that gives people joy.”

Looking around at the audience as they danced and swayed to every note Francis played, it was clear he’s accomplished his goal.

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