Album Review: THE FRAY

Written By Ruth Kagan

The Fray’s self-titled sophomore album, released February 3, 2009, echoes the mellow rock of their first album, How to Save a Life. The dramatic opening of the first song, “Syndicate,” sets the stage for an album that showcases the range of singer Isaac Slade and the strong percussion of drummer Ben Wysocki, who holds together many of the CD’s songs.

Just as in their first work, The Fray’s newest borrows moods from British superstars such as Coldplay and Keane, and their rock, veering towards alternative, evokes the recent hits (Apologize and Stop and Stare) from American band OneRepublic . Much like the instrumentation on their first album, Slade creates many of the powerful openings on their latest release with piano while guitarist Joe King starts other tracks with smooth and memorable riffs that continue throughout the song. The Fray’s lyrics are versatile and deep. The struggle for unity in the face of conflict is a repeating motif. As Slade sings in “Syndicate”: “Someday when this is over/We mix it up, no answer/For now its when I hold her/We are closer,” about struggles in a relationship. Similar issues inspired their first major hit, “Cable Car (Over My Head),” which was written after the band had a falling out with Slade’s younger brother. While the resolution of “Syndicate” is far more positive, it is nearly impossible to ignore the familiar links to their previous works when Slade sings “Let’s rearrange/I wish you were a stranger I could disengage/Just say that we agree and then never change.”

While The Fray’s lack of experimentation makes a few of the songs on the album so similar that the individual tracks are difficult to discern, they have truly mastered a niche in mellow rock. The melancholy tones make the tracks more appropriate for relaxing than for a party and the music is melodic enough to listen to over and over. The Fray is not as textured as the band’s first album but its masterfully crafted songs may make the album as popular on the Billboard charts as its predecessor.