What’s Cool: It seems like only yesterday that a little unknown band named The Fray exploded onto the music scene with their hit single, “Cable Car.” Now, 3 ½ years and a whole lot of squealing teenagers later, The Fray releases their sophomore album cleverly named, The Fray. Traditionally, a band’s sophomore album never lives up to their debut, but that’s not this case here. In fact, The Fray happens to be, in our opinion, even better than How to Save a Life.
As with their first release, The Fray has already taken the pop music market by storm with the help of their first single, “You Found Me.” The vocals are stronger, the melodies catchier, the instrumental parts more intricate, and the songs just better. The Fray also puts a heavier emphasis on the guitars and a little less on the piano in an attempt to make it more mainstream. While the album contains your familiar Fray sound that made them so popular, it is a more hard-hitting overall than the first
The album opens strong with the catchy melody of “Syndicate,” setting the tone for the rest of the album. “Never Say Never” is a moving piano driven ballad followed by “Where the Story Ends,” a song that sounds most similarly to the style on the debut album. “Ungodly Hour” is the softest song on the album and is equally beautiful, followed by “We Build Then Break,” whish sounds uncharacteristic of The Fray, but still works. The album ends with the acoustic driven ballad, “Happiness,” that climaxes with a gospel choir, possibly leaving you with goose bumps.
What’s Not: With only 10 songs the album seems to run a little short. However, you can purchase the deluxe edition on iTunes to get bonus tracks. Also, a more original album name would be greatly appreciated. May we suggest Where the Story Ends or You Found Me?
The Bottom Line: While the novelty of The Fray may have worn off after hearing “Cable Car” a million times on the radio, The Fray is a breath of fresh air from such a promising band. We truly believe The Fray has found their sweet spot with their sophomore release. The maturation of the band, both musically and lyrically, is evident in this release. The Fray fan or not, The Fray is definitely an album worth considering. You’ll also be able to catch them on their nationwide tour this summer. (http://blog.thefray.net/us/dates)
Official Site:
www.thefray.net
Our Rating:
