Francis of Delirium Unleashes Cathartic Indie Rock On Refreshing ‘Run, Run Pure Beauty’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Jana Bahrich, the mastermind behind the emotional and epic music by Francis of Delrium, is growing up before our very eyes. With the artist’s debut EP arriving just as the multi-hyphenate was graduating high school in 2020, and thanks to her prolific nature, fans have seen her grow into an unabashed poet, more akin to a troubadour than to any other artist on the alt-pop/indie rock spectrum. That busy release schedule, though, is not for appearances, nor is it an attempt to keep up with the dwindling attention span of a generation chronically online. Bahrich makes ethereal music meant to be felt as a whole, with each complex emotion broken down and every sonic trick felt from the minute it touches your ears to the moment it reaches your soul, and she has our full attention heading into Run, Run Pure Beauty. 

The latest full-length project from Bahrich is an explosive, head-spinning display of raw vulnerability and unfiltered creativity. These eleven songs mark the return of the artist’s fuzzed-out catharsis, although there is an immediate, noticeable difference on this tracklist. The crescendoes are just as impactful, but with a touch of cinema, the lyrics are still revealing, but in a much more heart-on-her-sleeve style. In other words, Bahrich is evolving on Run, Run Pure Beauty, and growing in all the right directions. There is a sense of urgency to these songs that wasn’t as palpable on past Francis of Delirium projects, and it emphasizes the beautiful lyrics and acrobatic vocals, which never lose the delicate touch that has always made Bahrich’s music so memorable. 

Bahrich has never held back in her writing, but this time around, she is baring her soul for all to see. Across these eleven songs, the artist fearlessly explores the complexity of life from every angle, gathering from a life of travel and spinning the lessons she’s learned into nothing short of pure anthems. A song like “Damned,” with its soaring harmonies and grunge-tinted guitars, tackles the juxtaposition of doing the right thing while not being able to please everybody. At the same time, a highlight like “Aliens” deals with isolation and paranoia while leaving Bahrich’s soul completely unguarded. That openness is just part of the reasons why Run, Run Pure Beauty is such a success, and that list is a long one. 

The blunt writing and psychedelic undertones of “Suck Punch,” the angelic disposition of the title track, and the pop-tinted plea for something greater on “Higher;” Bahrich isn’t just writing down her emotions; she’s creating worlds for them to live in. Along with frequent collaborator Chris Hewett, Bahrich stretched her lofty production ideas to new heights on Run, Run Pure Beauty. Her harmonies swell beneath her mesmerizing words, while the gentle moments of her guitar work bleed into the epic crescendos, offering a sonic terrain as immersive as her lyrics suggest. The subtle twang of “Open Up Your Mouth to Love” lets the artist explore the idea of opening up too soon, while the lo-fi aesthetic of “Modern Madonna” lets the vibrant imagery dance around the listener’s head. 

Some albums have moments when the songwriting and production find an intangible chemistry that sends the listener into a daze, but Bahrich managed to piece together an entire tracklist of such moments. Run, Run Pure Beauty cements the artist as a rising indie rock hope, beaming with refreshing tactics and unabashed lyrics, a sentiment that has followed the artist, but never felt more real than the first time you hear this album.