This article was originally published in The Denver Post on Sept. 16, 2005.
From the opening beats and strains of “Over My Head (Cable Car),” the first single from The Fray, the listener is involved and committed. It’s one of those songs where everything’s in its right place, where it’s impossible not to be swept away in the lush, overdramatic pop orchestrations meant to inspire road-trip singalongs and late-night diary benders. The song is beautifully – and smartly – constructed, with its guitar picking complementing the subtle piano chords that act as its backbone. And Isaac Slade’s earnest, affected voice is undeniably listenable – like a younger Chris Martin with more soul.
But it’s that last part that’s going to haunt the popular Denver band – and also likely sell them grips of records. Long before the band signed with Epic Records, locals talked about the uncanny, undeniable similarities between The Fray and Coldplay, between Slade’s whispery shout and Martin’s tender growl, between each of the groups’ penchant for pitting the subtlety of the piano and keyboards against the visceral, electric brashness of a plugged-in guitar and faceless rhythm section.
At first The Fray’s music sounded more of the soft-loud school, perhaps more nuanced than Coldplay’s straightforward, often pedestrian piano pop.
But now with the group’s major label debut, “How to Save a Life,” in stores, it’s easy to see the band and its producers took its music in a decidedly more Coldplay-esque direction. And while it may have been a natural progression for the young quartet, it certainly doesn’t sound that way – especially in an age of major labels disgustingly taking young bands with talent, potential and a modicum of originality and repackaging them as an “If-you-like-Coldplay-you’ll-like …” commodities.
The Fray’s confidence on “How to Save a Life” is impressive, and it’s slowly spilling over to the group’s live show. The band celebrates the release of its Epic debut tonight with a show at the Paramount Theatre – one of the biggest local-music events in recent memory – and they’re moving smoothly from Weezer’s tour in July to 16 dates with Ben Folds in October and November.
But while the splash and impact from “Over My Head” is huge and wide-
reaching – the song is getting national airplay on commercial and satellite radio and film soundtracks, and it’s getting people talking about Denver as a market of untapped pop potential – you have to wonder where the band is going after the single is played out.
“How to Save a Life” is appropriately front-loaded. “She Is” is an upbeat, poppy track that is cloying and sanitary but a toe-tapper nevertheless. The song is fine, which is a terrible word to use in music criticism unless it’s absolutely fitting. And so, yes, “She Is” is fine. And also mostly forgettable.
And after “Over My Head” is the softly spoken title track. It’s quite pretty, and shows The Fray at its best, not worrying much about a hook and telling a cogent story that shows Slade’s potential as a thoughtfully poetic lyricist.
After that, the record falls apart. Pop albums these days are dominated by disposable filler, and tracks like “Fall Away” and “Vienna” could be held up in front of music-theory classes to define the inconsequential drivel of filler. But The Fray, like so many other bands, was put into a difficult, deal-with-the-
devil position. The band attained a record deal – which it signed onstage at a sold-out show at the Fox Theatre – after such little time together, how could its members be expected to release a fully thought-out, expressive, lived-in record?
Slade and longtime friend and bandmate Joe King had a killer song with unlimited radio potential, and with guitarist Dave Welsh and drummer Ben Wysocki they pushed forward to write more. But you can tell this record isn’t as lived-in as most debuts are. “Over My Head” is a terrific radio single, but it’s far from a brilliant song. They’re better with “Little House,” which is more electronic – and thus more original. The rocked-out track has a nice build, starting slowly and morphing into a tortured blend of Muse’s careening melodies and Stabbing Westward’s percussive bombast. And ultimately the song is its own creation.
But is there another single in this record? And even if there is, will it matter?
It’s one thing to get a record deal. It’s another thing to deserve a record deal. The recording industry is all about the co-opting of popular sounds and aesthetics on a mass-manufacturing basis, which has taken a severe toll on the creativity we’ve seen coming out of the major-label camps and resulted in the proliferation of indie labels and bands happily filling that gap. But while they give us more of the same, that doesn’t mean we – as critics, fans and musicians – should mindlessly reward it as quality art just because it sounds familiar.
Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-820-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
The Fray
SOFT ROCK|Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place|CD release for “How to Save a Life” on Epic Records|8 tonight, with Meese opening|SOLD OUT
3more
JIMMY EAT WORLD Don’t hate Jim Adkins because he’s beautiful. And don’t hate him for his perfect pop riffs, either. Adkins brings his fearless pop band Jimmy Eat World to the Pepsi Center on Monday, opening for Green Day.
OASIS They may be bickering less, but the Gallagher brothers are as entertaining as they ever were. Now Noel is sharing writing duties with brother Liam – and the rest of the band – and the new material is every bit as good as the band’s storied past. They play Tuesday at Red Rocks with Jet and Kasabian.
THE GIRAFFES If you throw an empty beer can at Giraffes lead singer Aaron Lazar while he’s shredding through a repertoire that’s as power-metal as it is real-deal garage, he’ll look at you as if he’s gonna punch you in the face, but you’ll know he appreciated the show of love and admiration. The Giraffes play Thursday at the Larimer Lounge with Local H.
– Ricardo Baca
