Francisco sharpens his reputation for emotionally unguarded songwriting with “Passing Fix”, one of the most revealing moments on his sophomore album Open Letters. Blending alternative rock, folk textures, and indie-experimental production, the track captures emotional spirals with striking honesty and unfiltered intensity.
Where much of Open Letters leans into reflective, diary-like songwriting about longing and emotional dependency, “Passing Fix” pushes those themes to their most volatile edge. It sits in the space between humour and heartbreak, self-awareness and self-destruction, portraying the messy aftermath of attachment that refuses to resolve cleanly.
From the outset, the track feels unsettled. Francisco moves between vulnerability and resentment, narrating the experience of romantic obsession as it begins to collapse inward. The result is a song that doesn’t simply describe emotional chaos—it embodies it.
Written in a stream-of-consciousness style, the lyrics were intentionally left unpolished, mirroring the emotional state that inspired them. Francisco explains: “For me, Passing Fix is the song that feels like you’re throwing the entire house out the window. I wrote it when I felt disorganised and out of place, and I wanted to rationalise that hurt by pushing myself to extremes.”
That sense of emotional excess is central to the track’s impact. One of its earliest lyrical anchors—“If I’m still single by 28 I’ll drown myself in liquor…”—sets the tone for a song that swings between self-pity and piercing self-awareness, never allowing the listener to settle into comfort.
Musically, “Passing Fix” builds its intensity gradually. Francisco constructs the production only after completing the lyrics, layering acoustic guitars, 12-string textures, bass, twangy electric lines, and swelling drums into a soundscape that feels both intimate and expansive. The influence of contemporary confessional songwriting, particularly artists like Gracie Abrams and Noah Kahan, is evident in the track’s emotional directness, though Francisco filters these inspirations through a more explosive, rock-leaning lens.
The connection to earlier album track “21/7” adds further depth, positioning “Passing Fix” as its emotional aftermath. If “21/7” captures the rush of instant attachment, this song documents what happens when that intensity curdles into obsession and self-blame.
Across Open Letters, Francisco continues to refine his ability to turn deeply personal experiences into universal emotional narratives. But “Passing Fix” stands apart for its willingness to sit inside discomfort without resolution. It is messy, self-sabotaging, and painfully aware of its own contradictions and that is exactly what makes it resonate.
Photo Credit: Vasvi Bhardwaj
