The Fray’s self-titled sophomore album relies heavily on what made this band such a success in the first place: haunting piano melodies, catchy guitar solos and frontman Isaac Slade’s unusual vocals. Many of the songs on The Fray fit the mold that this piano rock band created with 2005 How to Save a Life. It comes as no surprise that the best songs on this album are piano ballads that crescendo into powerful rock anthems, complete with Slade’s impressive lungs and toe-tapping rhythms.
But where How to Save a Life was the kind of album that stayed in the Most Played playlist on my I-Pod for weeks, this new release from The Fray falls a little short. The songs border on sounding like carbon copies of one another, to the point where it’s even hard to distinguish between where one song ends and another begins.
Ultimately, The Fray sticks to what’s worked for them, and the new album doesn’t offer anything especially new for the band, which is both a delight and a disappointment in a sophomore album. I’m pleased that they didn‚Äôt deviate too far from their sound, but at the same time, something new could have been exciting. Many of the songs on this album are almost too reminiscent of their previous album.
There are, however, several songs on this album that shine and stand out as something special from the pack of “Over My Head (Cable Car)” wanna-bes. The powerful and moving ballad, “Ungodly Hour”, is honest and genuine, and the simple melody of the song acts as a perfect accompaniment to Slade’s heartbroken voice. “Happiness” is another piano ballad that begins as something soft and gentle, and then unexpectedly transitions into a harder, faster melody, backed by a choir, and it really works. It’s the kind of song that knocks you off your feet a bit. “Never Say Never” follows a similar pattern, starting as a sweet love song and then it crescendos into a powerful chorus, with Isaac Slade beautifully begging, “Don’t let me go, don’t let me go.”
The faster-paced songs on the album are mediocre. The album opens with “Syndicate”, which is catchy enough for pop radio, but ultimately the song fails to move me in any real way. “You Found Me” plays with ideas of love lost, loneliness and religion, but lacks depth.
On the whole, if you liked The Fray’s first album, then this new release will probably be a welcome addition to your music collection. The Fray’s distinctive, haunting sound hasn’t changed, and many of the ballads on this album are show-stoppers. Unfortunately, The Fray doesn’t offer anything especially new on this album, and fails to fully inspire their audience.
