Well, Franck Carducci and his band are certainly regulars of the gig circuit, and it’s unlikely that anyone reading this hasn’t seen them at least once. Albums though are a little less frequent, and we’ve been waiting since 2019 for a follow up to The Answer. The wait though is over, and at last Sheeple is being unleashed on the world. And yes, it’s good. Very good!
Whilst Franck’s reputation has been made on stage with a staggering theatrical show, a big show needs to be based on solid songs, and there are quite a few on Sheeple. The brief title track, a Hammond organ solo, acts as an instrumental intro leading into the first song proper, Self-Righteousness. It’s a swaggering rocker made for the stage where it will go down a storm. Franck sounds quite energised, almost angry, as he bemoans the fact that the world is being led by morally bankrupt leaders, such as the ‘king child’ mentioned in the lyrics.
The shouty chorus is destined to be sung across the land when the band play this live. On the album, William Remond puts in a nifty guitar solo, and the band thunder their way through a high octane performance.
After this breathless opener, we need a bit of a break, and Sweet Cassandra is a gentle love song with a country lilt, sung by Franck and Mary Reynaud. It’s a sweet, sentimental but memorable song. What follows will be familiar to anyone who has seen the band in the last couple of years, and that is the first epic of Sheeple, The Betrayal of Blue. It has been an integral part of the live set, and is a really strong track. Although it’s familiar, it’s good to hear it on album at last, and lyrically, it’s an effective take on the destruction being wreaked on the planet from the perspective of Mother Earth. Barth Sky who co-wrote it is on fire, and Mary’s theremin spot is thrilling even without the visual appeal! All the Fantastic Squad appear on this song, and the fact they’ve played it so many times adds to the tightness and flair.
A short instrumental take on Sweet Cassandra follows, notable for some great flute from Roy Van Oost. Time for another up tempo rocker, and The Limits of Freedom fits the bill. It starts with a piano riff very similar to the intro to The Lamb Lies Down, but which then heads into wildly different territory. Lyrically, Franck examines the limits to freedom from the perspective of a dolphin, a billionaire and a rock musician. Barth Sky shines again whilst Léa Fernandez tries hard to thump her drums into submission. The final section has some fabulous piano improvisation, which is either Olivier Castan or Cédric Selzer. Whoever it is, it’s marvellous.
The last track on the album proper is another epic, Love or Survive. It’s thirteen minutes of pure emotion, Franck expertly taking us on a roller coaster, building the tension, releasing, then rebuilding once more. Apart from the drums and extra vocals, he plays everything himself, including a fabulous guitar solo at the climax of part one (Love). Part two (Survive) gets proggier, with some lovely instrumental flourishes, but it all leads to the final part (Choose), and this will undoubtedly be another great audience participation piece.
It’s a refrain which is repeated over and over, and is simple but very effective.
Rounding off the album are a couple of bonus cuts, both sung and played entirely by Franck. First up, another older version of Sweet Cassandra, then a hilariously humorous throwaway bit of fun called Do What You’re Told. The sheep sound effects say it all!
So was it worth the seven year wait? Yes of course! If I was being super critical, I don’t really need three versions of one song, but quite honestly, the quality of the material is very high. The epics are wonderful prog excursions, the rockers really throw their weight about, but are nimble with it, and the emotional clout is real. That will do. Let’s just not have another seven year wait for the next one, eh Franck?
TRACK LISTING
01. Sheeple (1:16)
02. Self-Righteousness (5:46)
03. Sweet Cassandra (4:49)
04. The Betrayal of Blue (10:26)
05. Sweet Cassandra (reprise) (2:03)
06. The Limits of Freedom (5:26)
07. Love Or Survive (13:12)
~ Bonus tracks:
08. Sweet Cassandra (2019) (2:24)
09. Do What You’re Told (3:17)
Total Time – 48:39
MUSICIANS
Franck Carducci – Electric, 12 String & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Music Box, Piano, Percussion, Synthesiser, Hammond Organ, Mellotron
Anthony Honnet – Hammond organ (1 & 2)
Gus Genser – Drums (2)
William Remond – Lead Guitar (2)
Gilles Carducci – Harmonica (3)
Mary Reynaud – Vocals, Acoustic 12 String Guitar, Theremin (3,4,6 & 7)
Léa Fernandez – Drums (4,6 & 7)
Cédric Selzer – Hammond Organ, Mellotron, Backing Vocals, Piano (4 & 6)
Barth Sky – Electric Guitars, Backing Vocals (4 & 6)
Richard Vecchi – Hammond Organ (4)
Yann Van Eijk – Percussion (4)
Roy Van Oost – Flutes (5)
Olivier Castan – Piano (6)
Margot Viotti – Backing Vocals (6 & 7)
Marina Venet – Backing Vocals (6 & 7)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Esoteric Recordings | Cherry Red Records
Country of Origin: France
Date of Release: 10th April 2026
LINKS
Franck Carducci – Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
