I Start To Daydream by Champagne Francis

We should also salute the two discreet musicians who play on the album: Connie on bass and chorus as well as Nigel Rawles on drums. This is a production far superior to a number of big time major label releases. A heartwarming CD to end the year." www.rockandrollreport.com

Champagne Francis-I Start to Daydream "From the first hooky chorus of "Old Vampires", the leadoff track from Champagne Francis' sophomore release I Start to Daydream, you know you're in for power pop goodness, and the rest of it doesn't disappoint. CF are from New York City, but they sound like they hail from somewhere more sunny like California or Georgia, as they have kind of a west coast pop meets Athens, GA jangle feel. Although neither are from California or Georgia, the closest analogy I hear is a combination of The Merrymakers and The Connells. The first five tracks on this disc are as good as any you'll hear this year, capped off by the rocking "Burned to the Ground". The rest aren't exactly chopped liver either, especially "High Comedy" and the jangly "Walter". www.absolutepowerpop.blogspot.com

"Like a restrained Weezer, they cram enough sweetness into this album to guarantee that power pop lovers will extract maximum satisfaction out of every second!" - PowerOfPop.com

"Instead of being just sort of melodic, sort of catchy, the songs on this band's second cd are ridiculously catchy, ridiculously good. I Start to Daydream is a whole album full of hook-laden tunes that will play in your head all day long, that will catch up with you when you least expect them. It might be the single best album released by a NYC band in 2006.

There is every reason to like this album. The songs are memorable to the power of an exponent. Silverman's layers of minimalist electric and acoustic guitar are tasteful to a fault: the guy is a master of subtlety and texture.The vocals are laid-back and unaffected. You can understand the lyrics which, by the way, have a terrifically understated wit. The songs themselves are terse and crystallized, polished to a gorgeous shimmer. There's 11 of them on this cd and all are first-rate. There aren't many bands who can say that about what they've released this year. Fans of whip-smart rock from Crowded House, to the Auteurs, to, hell, the Beatles will not be disappointed.

This album ought to score big with the Guided by Voices crowd, who will go for the delicious guitar sonics and smart songwriting. All Champagne Francis needs is a song in a hit indie film and they'll be playing stadiums." -TRIFECTAgram

"Smart, tuneful, relatively straightforward power pop. They list their influences as Fountains of Wayne, Nada Surf, and Weezer, and for once the comparisons are pretty close to the mark. Marked by singer/writer Brian Silverman's affable singing voice and plenty of ornate guitar curlicues supplementing the band's sturdy melodies, songs from the slightly melancholy but insanely catchy "Old Vampires" to the stop/start bit on "Burned to the Ground" make for a breezy, state-of-the-pop artifact" www.popculturepress.com

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