Scrapper Records

Taking cues from Van Morrison on the readymade wedding day first dance “Light Up My Day,” Jack Johnson on the whimsy strummer, “Red Cloud Road” and Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) on the aching “I Didn’t Know I Built It,” Pete Francis crafts his most mature solo work to date – in both manner and material. On his sixth solo effort since hanging it up with the popular folk jamband, Dispatch, Francis teams with producer Jeff Trott (Sheryl Crow), who contributes a thick studio veneer via a wash of reverb over its entirety. With his wistful voice, multi-instrumentalist versatility and easy-to-relate lyrics, Francis narrowly sidesteps bubble gum in making The Movie We Are In stick around for better reasons.