The Fray "The Fray" Album Review

Some Hits, More Duds, Fails to Live Up to "How to Save a Life"

Feb 16, 2009

"The Fray" is a solid transition from "How to Save a Life." However, it seems like something is missing on their follow-up album as compared to their debut album.

The Fray, the Denver foursome, is a particularly anonymous yet poignant group that doles out fireworks, but is average enough not to get in the way of another person's story. For example, The Fray's hit single "You Found Me" makes one of a few perfect songs from this album to be implemented on a prime-time television show.

Is this CD a sophomore slump? No. But it is a pristine case of how a group will always be compared to their debut success. After all, “How to Save a Life” was nominated for a Grammy.

Beginning of the CD

The enamoring piano-rock style of The Fray has attracted a mass of fans worldwide and this is evident immediately in their second album. Just as "Over My Head (Cable Car) provided an exciting melody and fresh but familiar chord progressions, “The Fray” kicks off with an energetic first track.

"Syndicate" contains vigor with a catchy piano riff, powerful guitars and a catchy melody that reminds the listener of everything that was captivating about their first album. The second song, "Absolute", starts off with guitars and the tune picks up steam and never looks back; it's very dynamic, with the twists and turns that made “How to Save a Life” so appealing. With its soaring chorus, this song has a chance to be the emotional favorite of adoring fans.

But it's after the hit,"You Found Me", perhaps this album's closest thing to a "How To Save A Life"-type song with its perfect blend of intimacy and uplifting vigor, that this record starts to turn south. The fourth song, "Say When", starts slow but improves as it goes along. Still, there is a noticeable drop-off when compared to the first three songs.

"Never Say Never" is a respectable ballad with a very nice string arrangement, but without anything memorable. Isaac Slades's vocals are good throughout this album, but it sounds, at times, that his delivery may not have quite the vitality of his consistently strong effort from “How to Save a Life.”

Latter Half of the CD

"Where The Story Ends" picks up the pace again but is based around a rather simplistic, one-note-at-a-time piano 'hook' section. Finally the album gets going again with a top-notch song, "Enough For Now." A great chorus line sung with much better passion, excellent lyrical content, and a build-in intensity add up to a moving, powerful tune.

"Ungodly Hour" is far from ungodly awful, the line that builds up to the nice falsetto phrasing of the words 'ungodly hour' is actually quite beautiful from both a melodic and lyrical perspective, but the rest of the song does not progress.

"We Build Then We Break" is an interesting song and does not quite fit in with the rest of the album. It is fast-paced and is reminiscent of a Coldplay tune. Strangley placement at number nine, it is still an enjoyable change-of-pace. It would have fit much better at the front with the catchier songs. The closer, "Happiness", opens with a nice acoustic guitar accompaniment, and while it builds to a fairly strong peak that includes an impressive choir backing, it fades quietly away as does the record.

In conclusion, to truly enjoy this album, try not to compare it to the group’s first.

The copyright of the article The Fray "The Fray" Album Review in Rock Music is owned by Max Sherry. Permission to republish The Fray "The Fray" Album Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Jun 10, 2009 2:29 PM

Guest :

I have problems understanding his lyrics. Songs have boring sound to them. No meodiy chnges or tempo changes in songs so the melodies and rythems need to be extra good and they aren't. First album seemed to have the hooks the second doesn't.