Ten years ago I was twenty-two.

Twenty years ago I was twelve.

Thirty years ago I was two.

But when I came out my momma I was zero.


“Strange” is a word that has both followed and described Sage Francis throughout his career. Interestingly, his most recent album is probably best experienced as I did - without any prior knowledge of his back catalogue. Li(f)e isolates itself lyrically and sonically from Francis’ prior work. Going in expecting either hip hop norms or indie rock standards, there's good reason to argue that the record misses the mark. Far from commercial, Francis’ very American™ and very White® voice will never be commissioned to sell us Apple products – even in the impossible alternate universe wherein he would actually allow it. He falls timbrally somewhere between George Costanza and Penn Jillette. Looking back, it was perhaps this aesthetic weakness that piqued my curiosity and compelled me to give the record a second, third and now nth listen, delving deeper into the poetic gazpacho and each time getting more out of it.



“Different”, another word Sage Francis would ascribe to himself and might also describe the relationship between each track on Li(f)e. The album begins with a somewhat romanticized illustration of Christopher Daniel Gay, who repeatedly escaped from police custody to visit his dying parents. The urgency in Francis’ voice makes it impossible to listen passively. And even though I personally don’t find the tale of “Little Houdini” particularly inspiring, the story as it is presented in the opening track stuck with me. This is Li(f)e’s greatest strength: it grabs your attention and invites you to agree or not. It inspires your mind to wander and contemplate concepts and questions long after the removal of your ear-buds. And though the musical hooks don’t dig in very deep - the "rock" chorus' fall disappointingly short of a Les Savy Favesque chant – Li(f)e is the first non-political album in a very long time whose lyrical themes have remained with me much more than the music itself.



“Famous” is what Sage Francis will never be. Sure, he is known and respected within his own underground hip hop circle, but ultimately we as consumers of music will never consider him on the same altitude as a Kanye West or Leonard Cohen. This obscurity brings sincerity to Li(f)e. Sage Francis comes across not as a pop star hell-bent on guaranteed entertainment, but rather a common shmuck with a knack for wordsmithing. His problems are our own and his flaws are displayed along his strengths. It is telling that Francis chose to spend the first weeks of 2011 in Durban, South Africa helping orphans with HIV. If this experience eventually influences his next record, then I personally can’t wait to hear it. As for 2010, Li(f)e stood out to me much more than any other in a long list of notable releases. I won’t spoil the albums best track, “The Best of Times” with a description. I will just say that it tipped the scale enough for me to pick Li(f)e as my personal album of the year. It deserves to be heard by everyone.




You can listen to "The Best of Times" by clicking here.


Dylan Smith is a grad student in neuroscience at the University of Ottawa.
Follow him on twitter: @Dylonius or buy him a drink at the pub.

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