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Product Description
Review
Having secured a monster radio hit with How To Save A Life and seen its parent album become the biggest download seller ever, The Fray return with a second that resolutely avoids messing with the recipe. A stew of angsty earnestness, piano melancholy and anthemic melodies, like a Coldplay who have never heard Kraftwerk, The Fray will either move or bore you to tears, depending on your disposition.
Although cynics will no doubt accuse The Fray of commercial opportunism, there's little on the album to make you question the band's sincerity. Like their debut, The Fray tackles big questions - the struggles of everyday life, family dysfunction, the existence of God - and wraps them in a big sound, all pounding pianos, swollen guitars and Isaac Slade's hoarse, cracked falsetto.
Sometimes the songs generate the emotional weight The Fray clearly hope for. The single You Found Me packs a punch, thanks to its hauntingly simple piano hook and surging, impassioned chorus, as well as lyrics which see Slade challenge God for his apparent indifference. And both the harmony-borne Absolute and bruising We Build Then We Break slowly work their way under your skin, like Chris Martin at his most introspective.

Unfortunately, there are more moments where this uniformity of approach becomes drearily samey, and the songs blur into each other. When they're coupled with hackneyed lyrics - as on Happiness, which insists, ''happiness feels a lot like sorrow, let it be'' - the results are neither inspired nor inspiring. However, when the band does strike out in new directions, such as on the shuffling, fragile Ungodly Hour, they win your attention again.
There are enough haunting hooks and delicately well written tunes here to ensure The Fray hang on to their fervent fanbase, but little to win over newcomers. If they're to defy the law of diminishing returns, they'll need some fresh air blowing through their third. --Jaime Gill
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Product Description
2009 self-titled second album from Denver piano-rock band. Fts the already popular single "You Found Me".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album seems to have quietly slipped into the charts unnoticed, and it wasn't until I saw it in a shop that I realised it was released. The Fray are perhaps one of those groups that slip under the radar too often, and don't get as much of the aclaim they deserve.
The Fray's self titled second album is brilliant. On first listen it didn't seem that different from their first album, but now that I've listened to it several times its still growing on me. I kinda consider them to be a slightly more mellow Killers. Mellow songs with meaningful lyrics are interspersed with more dramatic ones that are performed with such conviction that it made my skin tingle.
I recommend that you buy this CD, especially if you are a previous fan but also if you are just stumbling on this and like similar groups. In my opinion, this CD is better than their previous album, 'How To Save A Life', and shows a very promising progression to their career. many great things yet to come I hope!!
The Fray's self titled second album is brilliant. On first listen it didn't seem that different from their first album, but now that I've listened to it several times its still growing on me. I kinda consider them to be a slightly more mellow Killers. Mellow songs with meaningful lyrics are interspersed with more dramatic ones that are performed with such conviction that it made my skin tingle.
I recommend that you buy this CD, especially if you are a previous fan but also if you are just stumbling on this and like similar groups. In my opinion, this CD is better than their previous album, 'How To Save A Life', and shows a very promising progression to their career. many great things yet to come I hope!!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The first time I played `The Fray' I have to say I was a little dubious as it felt very much like the first album. The first album was so good that may not necessarily be a bad thing, but it all just felt very samey.
Then I gave it a few listens, got to know it a bit more and some tracks started to stand out. `You Found Me' starts gently and then when the beat drops in you get a rush from the feeling it creates. `Say When' is another gentle starter, but by the time the end rolls by it has built to quite a crescendo. This album gives us the vocals and piano hooks we loved from the bands debut and whilst it has a similar feel, it also has enough of a voice of it's own to keep you interested. I hear the band are in the studio working on their next album as I write and if they turn out another album along these lines, but with maybe a touch more development then I will be a happy fan indeed. This is still great song writing from a great band that is well worth checking out.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
Then I gave it a few listens, got to know it a bit more and some tracks started to stand out. `You Found Me' starts gently and then when the beat drops in you get a rush from the feeling it creates. `Say When' is another gentle starter, but by the time the end rolls by it has built to quite a crescendo. This album gives us the vocals and piano hooks we loved from the bands debut and whilst it has a similar feel, it also has enough of a voice of it's own to keep you interested. I hear the band are in the studio working on their next album as I write and if they turn out another album along these lines, but with maybe a touch more development then I will be a happy fan indeed. This is still great song writing from a great band that is well worth checking out.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I bought the first fray album a while ago, and loved it, so when I decided to buy the new one I thought I'd listen to it non stop. I didn't though, I just left it in a corner and ignored it because I don't like listening to new songs without knowing the words.
After playing on repeat though I found it to be one of my favourite albums of all time! If you liked the first album you'll love this one. It's even better. I recommend You Found Me, Happiness and Say When :)
Get it! It's ace x
After playing on repeat though I found it to be one of my favourite albums of all time! If you liked the first album you'll love this one. It's even better. I recommend You Found Me, Happiness and Say When :)
Get it! It's ace x
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Best Fray album.
This album is by far the best album the fray have done, songs like 'happiness' and 'you found me' are incredible, i can listen to them over and over. Read more
Published 3 days ago by ben
The Fray
For all folk who love the sound and lyrics of The Fray, this is a must have! The more you hear the better it gets!
Published 6 months ago by Peja
amazing
Every track was good. Songs had meanings and easy to listen to - if your a fan of them you will love it
Published 18 months ago by Susan Robinson
the fray out did themselves
this is an amazing album tht i am very happy to hav purchased. i first herd the song "you found me" on the uk top 40 and luved it (it is still one of my favs) and since i already... Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2009 by miz
Much more interesting than their debut
Whilst in New York over the Easter break - 'You found me' was being played incessantly on the radio and hooked on the track, I bought the album. Read more
Published on 27 Jun 2009 by New Kid in Town
grower
when i bought this album and started listerning i wasnt sure but i absoulely love it syndicate, you found me, when the story ends just the whole album is wicked and im now going to... Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2009 by C. Punter
Solid return.
This album marks a strong return for the fray after their debut 'how to save a life' eventually got big in 2007 having initially being released in 2005 (in the US at least), the... Read more
Published on 14 Feb 2009 by Jayy Mannon
"The Fray" (Self-titled)
I think this is a fantastic album, certainly on the same level as their debut, and possibly even surpassing it. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2009 by Rev. A. J. Bawtree
PURE QUALITY!
Having listened to this album I can say that it is truly outstanding.
The first album was amazing and one of my favourite albums of all time and this definitely lives up... Read more
The first album was amazing and one of my favourite albums of all time and this definitely lives up... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2009 by Wayne
Pop rubbish
I loved the first album, but this feels like a tired clone - when I listen to the tracks I get the nagging feeling I've heard them before - and more often than not the melodies of... Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2009 by Mr. D. R. Kirby
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