Francis and The Lights set to shine

“If you want to break down and cry, it’s all right,” sings Francis Farewell Starlite in the kind of bloodletting howl suggestive of a man whose heart occasionally doubles as a dartboard.

Starlite is the frontman for soulful New York City bohemes Francis and The Lights, and in the song in question, “Darling, It’s Alright,” he’s extinguishing a former flame for good. Performing with two drummers, the band pairs Starlite’s emotional range with that of the sonic variety, as they’ve opened for everyone from psych pop freakazoids MGMT to of-the-moment hip-hopper Drake.

See Francis and The Lights at 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at Book & Stage at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The show is free; call 698-7000.