My first album review

The Fray
How To Save a Life



It has been a long time since I have felt compelled to actually go out and buy an album. Especially one that has VH1 telling me I should. My wife and I went out last weekend with the intent of each buying some new music. I bought The Fray's How to save a Life. Vickie bought....oh man, please don't make me say it...er...uh OK..here it goes Rob Thomas. She still is the coolest wife ever!!! Anyway...

How to Save a Life offers nothing new sonically that we haven't already heard from artists like Coldplay and Ben Folds. But my mantra is "it's all about the songs" which this album has. Well written melodies with thought out, but at times ambiguous, lyrics. This album teeters back and forth from pop and cool. Their current hit "Over My Head" filling up every Buffalo Wild Wings and Hollister from here to LA gives me the sense that, yes, this is pop music but it just took a turn for the better. The album as a whole has ai sweet sort of melancholy atmosphere that is appropriate for late night vibe music. Sounding somewhere between Marvin the Martian and Radiohead's Thom Yorke you find The Frays vocalist Isaac Slade. A unique voice but delivery that doesn't make you question his sincerity. This album did have some hick-ups along the way though. The song "Little House" starts out one part Bruce Hornsby and one part Vanesa Carlton and then turns in to a night with Bach (not Beck) and Queen. It's a little weird, and I am not convinced. Overall, this is a good record. It is not great but I think well worth the purchase. As an interesting side note for local Peorians, a lot of this record was recorded in Bloomington Indiana's Echo Park Studio.

3.5 of 5 Stars