Detroit Free Press Review
Francke's full of Motown love, funk
May 29, 2005

The centerpiece of this committed collection of 13 tracks is the title song, a love letter to the hardworking, music-loving city that Stewart Francke so clearly adores. A virtual compendium of Detroit references -- think Stroh's, Mitch Ryder, "the techno holy trio," Stoney & Wojo, Soupy Sales -- "Motor City Serenade" is built on a bass line and string arrangements that practically scream Hitsville, appropriate considering that members of Motown's fabled backing band, the Funk Brothers, played on the track.

Actually, the entire album is almost bursting with Motown and other '70s R&B and soul cues, particularly the string and horn charts and Francke's voice, which has taken on a slightly raspier and earthier tone as he's aged. All this might be a surprise to those who remember the longtime musician's earlier material, which was in a more traditional pop-folk vein. But the transition that began with 2001's "What We Talk Of ... When We Talk" and was roughly concurrent with a life-threatening bout with cancer feels complete -- and legitimate -- as Francke exhibits a wiser, sometimes weary, but ultimately heart-a-bursting persona. He's so obviously genuine about the material that he isn't afraid of engaging in a little foreplay with sentimentality, though he smartly stops short of going schmaltz all the way.
Among the especially effective (and affecting) tracks are "Skin to Skin," which has a playful, tender sensuality; the pleading "God I Need an Answer"; "Upon Seeing Simone," a humorous tale of a man who's sweating it when a certain someone shows up unexpectedly; and "American Twilights," which conjures the vibe of "What's Going On"-era Marvin Gaye -- no easy trick and indicative of the skillful touch that Francke and his players bring throughout the disc.

By Steve Byrne, Free Press staff writer